The Murtala Yakubu Ajaka Campaign Council of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is deeply concerned about recent events regarding the gubernatorial case between Ahmed Usman Ododo, the incumbent governor of Kogi State, and our candidate, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka.
It has come to our attention that senior appointees of the Kogi State Government and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to social media on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, to celebrate a purported victory in the case. This celebration, which included the dissemination of placards and graphics congratulating Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC, took place even though the Supreme Court has yet to officially commence its sitting on the matter.
Similar occurrences have been observed prior to the tribunal judgment and the Court of Appeal proceedings, where the judgments were leaked to the public and reported by mainstream media before the court even resumed sitting on the day of judgment. For example, Sahara Reporters news platform published a copy of the judgment several hours before the court commenced sitting.
As a campaign council and an interested party in this case, we have every right to call out these irregularities. We shall not tolerate any further attempts to influence the judiciary through the misuse of state treasury funds.
We are calling on the Supreme Court judges to uphold justice and maintain public confidence in the judiciary’s ability to deliver impartial and well-reasoned judgments. As the process is about to begin, we categorically reject the current panel setup and urge the relevant legal authorities, particularly the National Judicial Council, to closely monitor and ensure a thorough process in selecting judges for the Kogi State case.
Additionally, we call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Kogi State Government, as there have been allegations of significant cash withdrawals from the state’s coffers to finance their court case against the SDP.
While we continue to monitor these events and expose any wrongdoing, we reiterate our confidence in the Supreme Court. We urge the judiciary to uphold its rules of engagement and ensure impartial adjudication of cases. The Supreme Court must protect the good people of Kogi State from deliberate treasury looters.
Signed;
Isaiah Ijele Davies,
Spokesperson, MURI/Sam Campaign Council.
