Kogi: Tribunal declines to stop Bello’s inauguration

…House of Assembly sues for peace

By Boluwaji Obahopo, Emman Ovuakporie & Kingsley Fanwo

LOKOJA—Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja yesterday struck out two motions seeking interlocutory injunction to stop the inauguration of the Governor-elect, Yahaya Bello as the governor of the state.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Halima Mohammed, in her ruling dismissed the motions, saying though the tribunal has Jurisdiction to entertain such prayers, but the motions were not contained in the original petitions brought by the plaintiffs involved.

She said granting the motions filled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP, will definitely affect the life of the original case before the court.

The Tribunal also dismissed the motion filed by Reuben Egwaba, the counsel to Labour Party seeking to stop the inauguration of Yahaya Bello because he (Bello) has no Deputy as at the time of the supplementary election of 5th December 2015.

Justice Mohammed urged all the parties in the case to prepare for accelerated hearing of the substantive case which will commence from next sitting, warning that the tribunal will no longer entertain the pre -hearing matters again.

Meanwhile, the campaign coordinators of the Kogi State governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in the Eastern Senatorial district of the State yesterday unanimously endorsed an Abuja based publisher Mr. Gowon Usman Egbunu as their preferred deputy governorship candidate.

This is coming on the heels of an appeal by the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Godwin Osuyi, that all aggrieved parties in the political crisis currently rocking the state to embrace peace and support the incoming governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The endorsement of Gowon Usman Egbunu was contained in a-six-page letter addressed to the Governor-elect and signed by Dr. Yakubu Ugwalawo, the Leader and Senatorial Coordinator as well as Hon. Hassan Haruna, Hon. Yahaya Menyaga and Prince Isah Abdullahi among other co-coordinators.

In the letter, with copies were sent to the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, the National Deputy Chairman (North Central Zone) of the Party, National Secretary, State Chairman of the APC, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment (who is from Kogi State) and all APC

Senators from Kogi State, the Coordinators pointed out that the nomination of Mr. Egbunu was based on the fact that he is tested, matured, creative and dogged.

In related development, the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Godwin Osuyi, in a statement made available to Vanguard in Lokoja yesterday, urged all aggrieved parties in the political crisis currently rocking the state to embrace peace and support the incoming governor of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

The factional speaker, Godwin Osuyi, said that the state will benefit more in an atmosphere of peace than political rancour.