The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal by the Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi state, Olayinka Baimoh, seeking to void the victory of Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.
A five-member panel of the court was unanimous in holding that the appeal, marked: SC/CV/653/2024, was incompetent, the notice of appeal having been filed outside the 14 days allowed by law for the filing of such notice.
Justice Sadiq Umar, who read the lead judgment, held that since the preliminary objection filed against the competence of the appeal was meritorious, it was of no use for the court to consider other issues raised in the appeal.
He proceeded to dismiss the appeal and awarded a cost of N5million against the appellants and in favour of the respondents.
The court is currently delivering judgment in the appeal by Yakubu Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who is also challenging Ododo’s victory.