Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has rejoiced over the Court Of Appeal judgement which nullified the election of Senator Dino Melaye.
In a judgment delivered Friday, the appeal court upheld the earlier judgement of the Kogi State National Assembly Election Tribunal, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Mohammed Onogwu, on Friday, Bello said the judgement upheld his earlier position that the opposition PDP rigged the elections.
He praised the judiciary for being “unbiased, independent and impartial.”
The governor said, “in spite of the intimidation, unnecessary accusations and rumour-mongering, the tribunal and the Court Of Appeal have lived up to their expectations by dispensing justice without fear or favour”.
”For upholding the petition by Senator Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ordering that a fresh election be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the constituency, the tribunal, led by Justice A.O. Chijioke and the Appeal Court have jointly proved to the world that the people’s mandate was stolen in the last Kogi West Senatorial Election.
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“The courts did not decide in a vacuum but acted on the basis of the merits and demerits of the case before them.
“The appeal court and the entire judiciary, therefore, deserves our commendation for further strengthening the democratic and electioneering processes in Nigeria.”
