Just In: Appeal Court Declares Kogi East Senate Seat Vacant

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday, December 18, declared the seat for the Kogi on a pre-election matter instituted before the appellate court.

The judgement was delivered by Justice Abdul Aboki on a pre-election matter instituted before the appellate court.

Two persons, Attai Aidoko and Isaac Alfa have been in court claiming to be the legal occupants of the seat.

The senator representing Kogi east Senatorial District, Attai Aidoko, has been sacked from the national assembly the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

In the judgement delivered by Justice Abdul Aboki on a pre-election matter instituted before the appellate court, the court ruled that the Certificate of Return issued to the sacked Senator is no longer valid.

The judge also ordered that the senator should cease from parading himself as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as his seat has been declared vacant.

The judge said Aidoko was sacked on grounds that he was not dully elected in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primary that was conducted in Idah in 2014.

On December 14th, 2016, the court ruled that Senator Aidoko was duly elected as a Senator and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue to him a Certificate of Return.

The justice, however, ordered the parties involved in the Senatorial seat judicial tussle to return to the Federal High Court to properly prove their case.

Consequently, Justice Aboki said the seat would remain vacant pending the determination of the case at the Federal High Court.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that Kogi state governor, Y ahaya Bello, was recently indicted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for double registration.

The deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), James Abiodun Faleke, advised Bello to resign as governor, since that, in his opinion, it is more honourable for him than any other line of action.

He said: “My advice to Bello is for him to resign honourably.”