There is tension in Kogi state political circles as the Supreme Court will tomorrow, September 18 decide on the political logjam in the state.
Former governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada and House of Representatives member, Honourable James Faleke, are both seeking to dislodge sitting governor, Alhayi Yahaya Bello.
Faleke is the running mate to the late candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Audu in the November 21, 2015 election.
Audu’s death paved the way for Bello to emerge the governor based on the APC’s leadership decision, a decision that did not go down well with Faleke.
Both Wada and Faleke appealed the decision of the Appeal Court which upheld the election of Bello as governor one month ago.
According to The Guardian, the supporters of the three major parties in the litigations, Wada, Faleke and Governor Bello have moved to Abuja and are expecting the judgment to be in their favour.
The report stated that the movement to Abuja by Bello’s aides and other government officials has paralysed some government activities.
Governor Bello’s special adviser on media and strategy, Abdulmalik Abdulkareem, expressed confidence that they will come out victorious.
“We are not shaken, we know that the rule of law will take its course, God willing, we are set to make a legal record that will become a precedent.
“The Nigerian legal system is developing and we are happy that our case is adding impetus to the Nigerian judiciary,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of Wada, his special adviser, media and strategy, Jacob Edi, restated his principal’s belief in the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court.
His words: “We expect to win the case, we have always had confidence in the judiciary and we have kept advancing to the last stage, that is why we are at the Supreme Court. The judiciary is the ultimate for the common man.
“The framers of the constitution are aware that at every stage of the case newer interpretations will come up. We believe that the Supreme Court will look deeper into the case, particularly with the minority judgment.
“Whatever decision taken will deepen democracy as the case is novel, it will be a landmark judgment. We have confidence in the independence of the Supreme Court”.
The Supreme Court may hear and decide both appeals the same day and fix a different date for the underlying reasons for the judgments as has been the pattern of the apex court in recent times.
Meanwhile, the Kogi state police command has warned politicians and miscreants against violence after the Supreme Court judgement.
The command said intelligence reports had shown that the two major political parties were planning to either celebrate or cause problems after the delivery of the judgment.
The commissioner of police, Abdulahi Chafe, however told journalists in Lokoja, the state capital, that the command was prepared to protect the lives and property of law-abiding residents of the state.
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