Tribunal dismisses SDP, Akpoti’s petition against Yahaya Bello’s election

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday dismissed the case filed by the Social Democratic Party and its candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Natasha Akpoti.

The petitioners had filed the case challenging the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.

The three-man tribunal led by Justice Kashim Kaigama in its unanimous judgment on Monday held that the petition failed woefully.

It awarded the cost of N100,000 to be paid by each of the two petitioners to each of the three respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC, and Bello.

The total costs to be paid by the petitioners amount to N600,000,