The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday dismissed the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Senator Simeon Ajibola, challenging the election of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed as the governor of Kwara State.
Governor Ahmed was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election held on April 11, 2015.
In their suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/688/2015, the PDP and Ajibola had approached the Federal High Court to challenge the victory of Ahmed in the election.
Justice S.E. Chukwu in his ruling dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no locus standi to institute the case and on other grounds as argued by the defendant counsel in the preliminary objection.
The court, therefore, upheld the election of Ahmed as governor of the State.
Ahmed was returned elected as governor of Kwara State at the April 11, 2015 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the result released by INEC, Governor Ahmed polled 295,832 votes to defeat Ajibola of the PDP, who had 115, 220 votes.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Mike Omotosho, scored 2,973 votes to emerge second runners up in the election.
The scores, as announced by INEC, showed that Ahmed won in all the 16 local government areas of the State.
Meanwhile, Governor Ahmed has described Friday’s judgement as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, noting that the court’s decision was an affirmation of the clear mandate freely entrusted with him by the good people of Kwara State.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, the governor called on members of the opposition party and their supporters to join hands with his administration to move the State forward.
He assured the people of the state of his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises before the expiration of his tenure.
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