Supreme Court Reserves Judgement on Suit Seeking Sack of Ododo as Kogi Governor.

On Monday, August 19, the Supreme Court, reserved judgement in the appeal filed against the election tribunal and appeal court judgements by Murtala Ajaka, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Kogi governorship election. Earlier, the apex court declined Ajaka’s counsel’s request to establish a full panel to hear and determine his appeal.

At the hearing on Monday, Pius Akubo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that he had applied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to allow a full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the appeal in view of Paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29 of the appellant’s brief of argument, Super Plus TV News Media reported. Akubo had argued that the five-member panel presently constituted should be increased to seven justices. But lawyers for the respondents kicked against the application and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.

As reported by The Nation, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 3rd respondent, argued that there was a decision of the Supreme Court that a five-member panel could take an application for departure from a previous decision.

In a short ruling, Justice Garba Lawal, who led the five-member panel, held that election appeals are time-bound and that the court constituted as a five-member panel had the jurisdiction to determine the appeal as presented. At the hearing on Monday, Pius Akubo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that he had applied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to allow a full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the appeal in view of Paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29 of the appellant’s brief of argument.

Akubo had argued that the five-member panel presently constituted should be increased to seven justices. But lawyers for the respondents kicked against the application and urged the court to proceed with the hearing.

As reported by Super Plus Tv, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 3rd respondent, argued that there was a decision of the Supreme Court that a five-member panel could take an application for departure from a previous decision.

In a short ruling, Justice Garba Lawal, who led the five-member panel, held that election appeals are time-bound and that the court constituted as a five-member panel had the jurisdiction to determine the appeal as presented.