The President of the Kogi State Customary Court, Justice Ibrahim Shaibu, has sworn-in the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in last month’s gubernatorial election, Captain Idris Wada, as the governor of the state.
This is contrary to the laid down procedure of the Chief Judge of the state swearing-in the governor.
And this also runs contrary to the perceived position of the Supreme Court that the speakers of the Houses of Assembly of the five states where the governors were asked to vacarte their seats should take over in acting capacity.
The Eagle Online learnt that shortly after the judgment by the Supreme Court, the former Governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, summoned the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasir A. Ajanah, to the Government House.
There, Ibrahim told Ajanah to inaugurate Wada as the governor.
Sources said that Ajanah refused, saying that it was the speaker of the House of Assembly that should be inaugurated.
When Idris insisted, Ajanah reportedly walked out on him.
Idris then summoned Shaibu who inaugurated Wada as the governor.
The Supreme Court had earlier today asked the governors of Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Cross River State to vacate their seats with immediate effect, having spent the constitutionally stipulated four years as governors.
The court held that their tenure ought to have ended on May 29, 2007 but for a judgment of the Court of Appeal that erroneously extended their tenures.