Suit against Wada’s candidacy adjourned till after poll

A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has adjourned to Nov 27, 2019 for defence in a suit seeking to disqualify Engr Musa Wada as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16 governorship election. Abubakar Idris, a son of former governor of the state, has dragged Wada before the court […]

A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has adjourned to Nov 27, 2019 for defence in a suit seeking to disqualify Engr Musa Wada as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16 governorship election.

Abubakar Idris, a son of former governor of the state, has dragged Wada before the court on the ground that he was not properly elected at the party’s primary as the standard bearer of the party and therefore urged the court to disqualify him and declare him (Abubakar) as the winner of the party’s primary.

The court had adjourned the case last Friday till yesterday after all the witnesses of the claimant testified and were cross examined by counsels.

He said since the case was a pre-election matter, the court is constitutionally allowed to adjudicate in the matter within 180 days and that the court still has many days at its side and should therefore not allow it to be rushed in a way that justice will be miscarried.

After hearing all the parties, the trial judge, Justice Richard Olorunfemi, in his ruling said nobody can “pressurise or stampede” him into doing anything outside the law. He said he has read in social media how some insinuations were made against him, adding that he remained undaunted because he has made a covenant with God not take bribe from anyone.

“None of you can buy me over, whether it is APC or PDP or anybody. I have made a covenant with my God precisely on May 18, 1999 that if I upturn justice for any monetary gain or favour that God should remove me from where I am because my being a judge is by his Mercy,” he said.

The trial judge, while accepting the plea for adjournment, said the court must not be made to embark on “neck breaking speed” when there is still much time to hear all sides of the case and therefore adjourned the matter to Nov. 27 for defence.