Anxiety has gripped the camps of both the Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada and the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election held in January 2011, Jibrin Isah Echocho, as the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, will, this morning, deliver judgment in the appeal filed by the latter, challenging the decision of a Federal High Court which dismissed his suit challenging the election that brought in Wada.
The judgment, which was initially fixed for Tuesday, was later shifted till today, making it the fourth time it would be shifted.
Stakeholders in Kogi politics were seen around the premises of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, discussing their expectations on the much awaited judgment.
Echocho had earlier approached the court to challenge the election that brought in Wada on the grounds that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not follow due process arising from the judgment of the Supreme Court, which terminated the tenure of former Kogi State governor, Ibrahim Idris and five others.
Justice Abdul Kafarati, in his judgment, dismissed Echocho’s suit on the grounds that it was a post-election matter and same should have been directed to the state governorship election petition tribunal.
Not satisfied, Echocho, through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, approached the appeal court, praying it to set aside the high court judgment.
Counsel for Wada, Chris Uche, in opposing the appeal, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit, while he also prayed the court to uphold the decision of the lower court which had earlier dismissed the suit.
In his statement of facts, Echocho had submitted that his case at the lower court was purely for constitutional interpretation, adding that it was only Wada, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the INEC that were initially joined.
