The Supreme Court has scheduled judgment for Friday, January 19, in the disputes over the last governorship election in five states.
The states are Ogun, Kebbi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Delta.
According to the court’s schedule sighted on Thursday, January 18, the court will deliver judgments on two appeals relating to Ogun, marked SC/CV/1221/2023 by Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and SC/CV/1223/2023 filed by the incumbent governor, Adedapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adebutu and the PDP are, by their appeal, seeking to void Abiodun’s election.
For Gombe, the court plans to deliver judgment on the appeal by Jibrin Barde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the party is, by their appeal, seeking to void the election of Governor Muhammad Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, heard the appeal, marked: SC/CV/1226/2023 on Thursday.
For Delta, the court plans to deliver judgments on three appeals filed by the candidate of the APC, Ovie Omo-Agege; candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kenneth Gbagi and Labour Party’s Kennedy Pela.
Concerning Nasarawa, the apex court will deliver judgments on four appeals filed by the candidate of the PDP, Emmanuel David Ombugadu.
For Kebbi, the court plans judgment on three appeals filed by the candidate of the PDP in the last governorship election, Aminu Bande; incumbent governor, Nasir Idris of the APC, and the third filed by the Deputy Governor, Abubakar Umar Argungu.
Earlier on Thursday, the court heard the appeal by the candidate of the PDP in Kaduna State, Mohammed Isa, seeking to void the election of Governor Uba Sani of the APC and reserved judgment till a date to be communicated to parties.
Arguing the appeal, marked: SC/CV/1240/2023, the appellants’ lawyer, Kenneth Mozia (SAN) urged the court to allow the appeal, dismiss the preliminary objections filed by some of the respondents, and grant the reliefs sought.
Lawyers to INEC, Sani, and the APC – Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN), Bayo Ojo (SAN), and Mohammed Katu (SAN) – urged the court to dismiss the appeal.
Mozia told the court that the appeal would lapse on January 22, following which the court reserved judgment till a date to be communicated to the parties.
The court dismissed the appeal filed, marked: SC/CV/1227/2023 filed by the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala after his lawyer, Herbert Nwoye withdrew it upon being told that his appeal was a mere waste of the court’s time.