Tribunal decides acting Kogi gov’s fate today

Johnson Babajide, Lokoja - 28.02.2008

All eyes are again set on Kogi State today as the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja is expected to deliver judgment on the case brought before it by the acting governor of the state, Chief Clarence Olafemi.

Olafemi, former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, who became the acting governor following the nullification of the election of the former governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, by the same Court of Appeal, is challenging the nullification of his election by the state election petition tribunal last September.

Mr Ayo Aereoran of Action Congress (AC) was then the petitioner.

Today’s judgment will open a new chapter in the political history of the 17-year-old state.

Although, there are strong indications that today’s judgment may be deferred. Nigerian Tribune learnt that PDP chieftains and other stakeholders in the state had evolved a strategy to ensure the deferrment of the judgment, considering the tension and instability that may attend.

It was reliably gathered that there was mounting pressure on President Yar’Adua to prevail on the judiciary to ensure that the judgment was suspended.

This, according to a source, was to diffuse the rising tension that had enveloped the state in the past few weeks.

Another strategy said to have been employed was the case instituted last week by some leaders in Kogi West Senatorial district of the state at a Federal High Court in Abuja where they were seeking a review of the tribunal’s ruling nulifying the election in Mopa Muro state constituency.