Kogi Guber: Court Of Appeal Upholds Wada As PDP Candidate

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the candidacy of Engineer Musa Wada as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Kogi State November 16, 2019 governorship election.
A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Ibrahim Muhammad Saulawa and comprising Justices Joseph E. Ekanem and Yasir Nimpar has set aside the order by the trial court which held that PDP did not conduct a primary election in the state.
“Every order made by the trial court that there was no primary election and that the appellant was not a candidate in the election is hereby set aside,” the panel ruled.
In the judgment on appeal number: CA/A/193/2020 between Musa Wada and Abubakar Mohammed Ibrahim Idris and others, the court said the trial court raised on its own, issues not raised by the parties for determination.
A governorship aspirant, Abubakar Idris had on September 27, 2019, approached Kogi State High Court to challenge the outcome of the primary election conducted on September 3 and 4, 2019 in the state in which Wada won and seeking to be declared winner.
The trial court presiding Judge, Justice R O Olorunfemi dismissed the claim and held that he did not substantiate his claim. But further ruled that PDP did not have a candidate in the election. Meanwhile, a retired Naval officer, Alhaji Isah Ogohi has cleared the air on the controversy surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s governorship candidate in the last election in Kogi State.
Speaking to newsmen, Alhaji Ogohi said contrary to the allegation that Wada never attended the LEA Primary School, Okura Olafia-Dekina, Dekina LGA and must have tendered a forged certificate, he was his contemporary in the school.
A public interest litigator had approached a Federal High Court in Lokoja seeking the disqualification of Wada on the ground that he forged the primary school leaving certificate he tendered before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).