THE Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the Ebonyi State governorship election appeal for a later date.
The court,, according to Justice John Okoro, reserved judgment after the parties adopted their briefs of argument on Monday, January 8.
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, had earlier upheld the election of Governor Francis Nwifuru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of the state in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, led by Justice Jummai Sankey.
The panel dismissed the appeal filed by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and also resolved all five issues raised against the appellant, which they dismissed for lacking merit.
Justice Sankey, who read the judgement, held that the PDP and its candidates lacked the legal right to meddle in APC’s internal affairs as it relates to the nomination of candidates.
Meanwhile, the apex court has been scheduled to hear 21 governorship election appeals this week.
The cases involving Ebonyi, Plateau, Delta, Adamawa, Abia, Ogun, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states were to be heard between Monday, January 8 and Thursday, January 11.
Judgment is being awaited in the governorship appeals on Kano, Lagos and others on Friday, after hearing briefs from all the Petitioners/Counsel in the cases.
The court’s schedule showed that it planned to hear the case in one appeal by the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), two by the PDP and its candidate, Chukwuma Odii Ifeanyi; and two appeals the APC and its candidate in Benue state.
On Tuesday, it will hear six appeals, three in respect of Plateau State, filed by the PDP, its candidate, Nentawe Goshwe and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); and three on Delta State, filed by Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), APC’s Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Mr. Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party (LP).
On Wednesday, the court will hear four appeals, two on Adamawa State, filed by the SDP candidate and a counter-appeal by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP.
The other two concern Abia State filed by PDP’s Okechukwu Ahiwe of the PDP and APC’s Ikechi Emenike.
On Thursday, the apex court hears six appeals, two on Ogun State, filed by PDP’s Oladipo Adebutu and a counter-appeal by Governor Dapo Abiodun, while the case on Cross River State, filed by Prof. Sandy Onor of the PDP and two on Akwa Ibom State, filed by Akpan Udofia of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) and John Akpan Udoedehe of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPC).
It is expected that the court would deliver judgments on Friday, January 8 in the appeals on Lagos, Kano and other states
