Kogi State governor, Ahmed Ododo has vowed to do everything within the ambit of the law to arrest and prosecute gunmen who murdered two students of the state university.
He said he had wished the students were alive to celebrate his victory at the State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal with him as they campaigned and voted for him during the election.
While reacting to the dismissal of the petition challenging his election, Ododo said the people of Kogi are still mourning the death of two students of the Kogi State University who were kidnapped and murdered by gunmen.
“I had wished that they were alive to celebrate his victory with me as they also voted for me during the election.
“I am still in pain with the gruesome murder of the innocent students of our university by the callous gunmen. Iam optimistic that it won’t be long before the long hand of the law will catch up with them wherever they are.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that the perpetrators of the heinous crime will not go scot-free. I assure that the murderers of the students will be arrested and they will be brought to book very soon,” he said.
The governor added that with the dismissal of the petition of the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Murtala Ajaka against his election, time for real work for the development of the state has come.
He called on Ajaka and other politicians in the opposition to join hands with him to develop the state.
He told journalists in Abuja that his victory at the Tribunal is for the good people of Kogi State who voted for him massively during the off-cycle election held on November 11, 2023.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for not interfering in the affairs of the judiciary, which, according to him, is the last hope of the common man.
The governor said his victory at the Tribunal will spur him to work hard in bringing the dividends of democracy to the people of Kogi State.
A three-member panel of Justices of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had, on Monday, affirmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the duly elected governor of Kogi State.
The Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the SDP, Ajaka, and his party on the ground that they failed of prove the allegations contained in their joint petition.
The panel, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, held in the unanimous judgment that Ajaka and his party failed to present credible evidence to prove their case in accordance with the law.
The tribunal held that contrary to Section 135 of the Electoral Act, the petitioners failed to demonstrate that the alleged irregularities during the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State were significant enough to affect the general outcome of the election.
The petitioners had argued that Ododo was wrongly declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the election failed to substantially comply with the relevant laws and regulations.
The petitioners also told the Tribunal that Ododo was not qualified to contest for the election as at the time it was held.
The court in its judgment held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations in their petition beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
After Tribunal victory, Ododo vows to arrest, prosecute killers of Kogi varsity students
