By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Baring any last minute change, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Tuesday August 25, 2020, hear three appeals filed by three political parties challenging the re-election of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
According to the hearing notices issued to the parties by the Supreme Court’s director/head of department/ litigation, Ibrahim Gold, two of the three appeals coming up for hearing were filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) along with their respective candidates to challenge Bello’s victory at the November 16, 2019 poll.
The hearing notices seen by newsmen was sent as short phone messages to the law firms involved in the cases. It indicated that COVID-19 protocols would be strictly enforced during the proceedings.
Besides, the hearing notices signed by Ibrahim Gold stated that in line with the COVID-19 protocols, only lawyers with names on the counsel’s list would be allowed into the courtroom, adding that only five lawyers per appearance would be allowed entry.
Our correspondent sighted the hearing notices sent out in respect of the appeals filed by the PDP and SDP.
One of the notices read, “Take notice that the above Appeal will be listed for hearing before the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.
“And further take notice that in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules, this Notice is deemed sufficiently served on you if it is delivered on your Information and Communication gadgets.
“Further take notice that COVID-19 protocols shall be fully and strictly enforced. It is only the counsel who are appearing and whose name is entered in the Counsel List (not more than 5 Counsel per Appearance) will be admitted into the Court and no more.”
The three appeals coming up for hearing at the Apex Court on Tuesday August 25 are sequel to the July 4, 2020 judgements of the Abuja Division of the Appeal Court which affirmed the victory of Yahaya Bello in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Kogi State.
In separate judgements of the Court of Appeal, all of which were unanimous, the five-man panel of the court led by Justice Adamu Jauro had dismissed the four appeals for lacking in merit. The appeals dismissed were filed by PDP, SDP, Democratic People’s Party, and Actions Peoples Party.
The Court of Appeal had in separate judgments dismissed four cases challenging the outcome of the poll, but only three of the appellants were able to file their appeals at the Supreme Court within the time stipulated by law.
Recall that on May 23, 2020, the three-man Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal which sat in Abuja had in a split judgement of two against one, dismissed the petition by PDP and its governorship candidate, Musa Wada, and affirmed Bello’s re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress(APC).
The majority judgement of the Justice Kashim Kaigama-led three-man tribunal dismissed Wada’s petition, while the minority judgement by Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele upturned Bello’s victory and ordered a rerun in seven local government areas of the state.
However, the Court of Appeal in its July 4, 2020 judgement, unanimously affirmed the tribunal’s majority decision.