Kogi gov’ship: Court rules on Natasha’s disqualification Thursday

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 7 to deliver judgment in a suit filed by Natasha Akpoti, a governorship aspirant for Kogi State, challenging her exclusion from the November 16 elections. Akpoti, her deputy, Adams Khalid and their party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had approached the court to challenge their exclusion […]

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 7 to deliver judgment in a suit filed by Natasha Akpoti, a governorship aspirant for Kogi State, challenging her exclusion from the November 16 elections.

Akpoti, her deputy, Adams Khalid and their party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had approached the court to challenge their exclusion from the 2019 Kogi State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They contended that INEC had refused to accept the nomination of Khalid in replacement of the earlier nominated deputy governorship candidate, Mohammed Yakubu, on the ground that Yakubu was not qualified in the first place to be fielded as deputy governorship candidate in the election on account of his age.

Their counsel, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), in his argument yesterday submitted that the duty of disqualification of any candidate in an election is that of the court and not INEC.

He further argued that the rejection of the substitute was unlawful because it was made 45 days before the governorship election, adding that the substitution was sequel to a voluntary withdrawal of the first nominated deputy governorship candidate, whose letter of withdrawal was forwarded to INEC.

However, INEC’s counsel, Tanimu Inuwa (SAN), submitted that the plaintiffs in a letter dated September 19 and addressed to INEC chairman, admitted that the first deputy governorship nominee was not qualified to contest the election on account of his age and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

Justice Folasade Ogunbiyi-Giwa after listening to their arguments fixed November 7 for judgment.