The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Kogi State governorship election which held on November 11, 2023.

The Supreme Court also dismissed the appeal filed by Muritala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the Kogi State governorship election. Ajaka had contested the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the  election, which saw Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerge as the winner.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld Ododo’s victory, rejecting Ajaka’s request to annul the election. The panel concluded that Ajaka failed to prove substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The court also ruled that allegations of age falsification and certificate forgery, raised by Ajaka, were pre-election issues that should have been addressed at the Federal High Court, which has the appropriate jurisdiction for such matters.

As a result, the Supreme Court dismissed Ajaka’s appeal, citing a lack of merit.

According to INEC, Ododo secured 446,237 votes, while Ajaka finished second with 259,052 votes.