Justice Richard Olorunfemi of the Kogi State High Court on Thursday dismissed the motion for joinder in the case on the rightful owner of the Kogi People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket between the main challenger Abubakar Ibrahim, and the candidate, Musa Wada.
Olorunfemi dismissed the motion seeking to join Adamawa State Governor, Ahmed Fintiri, and Eyitayo Jegede, Chairman and Secretary of the Kogi State PDP governorship primary committee respectively in the matter separately and not as returning officials.
The court ruled that there was no difference between the PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee headed by the Adamawa state governor standing as a whole, having been appointed by the PDP to want to join the matter in another guise individually. It noted that it would amount to an abuse to allow the parties to stand as separate individuals on the same matter and consequently struck out the application.
The PDP and INEC equally closed their defense, while Wada, the party’s flag bearer in the 16 November, 2019 governorship election was forced to close his defense having failed after several adjournments to produce his witnesses. The court said it cannot continue to wait forever.
The case was however adjourned for all the parties in the matter to submit their written addresses.
In the suit, Ibrahim, is insisting that he is the rightful owner of the PDP gubernatorial ticket for the 16 November Kogi governorship election.
It will be recalled that the PDP primaries which produced Engr. Wada was a disrupted when gun men invaded the venue of the event.
The exercise was later completed in a Guest House with the counting and announcement of votes.
While Wada was declared the winner of the primary, Ibrahim alleged foul play and subsequently filed a suit to challenge the outcome.
The Kogi State Governorship election was held on November 16, 2019 with Gov. Yahaya Bello, the incumbent governor winning with a landslide for another term of office
