On Monday, August 19, the Supreme Court refused to grant the request of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, in the last election in Kogi State.
The apex court dismissed his application urging the court to await the outcome of his request for a full panel to hear an issue raised in his appeal.
At the hearing on Monday, Pius Akubo (SAN) told the court that he had applied to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to allow a full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the appeal in view of paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29 of the Appellantâs Brief of Argument, The Nation reported.
He said they had not received a response from the CJN. But counsels to the respondents kicked against the application and urged the court to proceed with hearing, The New Telegraph reorted.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Garba, who presided over a five-member panel, noted that the issue for which the appellants seek a full panel was a fraction of the entire appeal, The Punch reported.
Justice Garba said the application lacked merit.
Ajaka and his party are in an appeal, praying to the apex court to vacate the decisions of the lower Courts, both the judgment of the court of appeal and that of the Kogi State election petition tribunal which upheld the victory of Ahmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state gubernatorial election.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that on Monday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court reserved judgment in the Kogi governorship election appeal filed by Muritala Ajaka of the SDP.
Ajaka challenged the declarations made by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) on the outcome of the 2023 governorship elections in their respective states.
After hearing all parties in the suit, the Supreme Court reserved judgment to a date that will be communicated to the parties.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
