Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

Residents of Kogi State on Tuesday expressed mixed reactions over the Supreme Court judgment which upheld the election of Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi.

James Faleke, the running mate of the late Abubakar Audu of APC and Idris Wada of the PDP had appealed the judgment of the two lower courts which upheld Bello’s election.

The Labour Party and African Democratic Congress also appealed the nomination and election in the Dec. 5, 2015 supplementary election.

Some of the residents, who spoke with NAN in Lokoja, hailed the judgment while few others accused the judiciary of being bias and partisanship.

But a Supreme Court seven-man justices unanimously affirmed Bello’s election, holding that the appeals lacked and was a mere academic exercise.

Mr Abdulmalik Zakari, a former Special Adviser on Pension to former Gov. Ibrahim Idris, said that the emergence of Yahaya Bello as Kogi governor was simply an act of God.

“The issue here is all about the development of our state irrespective of who won; we want the best for Kogi State.

“Although, I am an Igala from Kogi East but majority of our people believe that the government should be return to them due to Abubakar Audu’s death.

“But I am one of those who believe that government should go round the three senatorial zones of the state; which is the right thing.

“Now that Bello has won he should know that it is an act of God and do the right thing by paying workers’ salaries, and resolve lingering problems ravaging the state.

Mr Jimoh Eleshin, a civil servant in the state, commended the Supreme Court for the judgment, saying the judiciary had once again strengthened Nigeria’s democracy.

“I am urging all aggrieved parties or groups to accept the judgment as God’s will, and join hands with Gov. Bello to build the state of our dream,” Eleshin said.

A lecturer,mMr Babatunde Ibrahim, also hailed the judgment, and urged opponents to join hands with Bello to build a successful state.

Ibrahim, a lecturer at Kogi Polytechnic, advised Bello to put his house in order to fast track infrastructural development across the state.

“We really need to know where we are going because we have not witnessed any visible project in the state for close to a year now.

“The workers’ screening is taking a longer time than expected, it should be hastened up to allow genuine workers get their salary arrears.

“The ghost workers should be identified, eliminated and punished,” Ibrahim advised.

Mrs Emily Fache, a civil servant, said she was happy that the judgment of the Supreme Court had confirmed Bello as the authentic governor of the Kogi.

“I have always said that Kogi is going toward a new direction that would transform the state for the first time in 25 years.

“I am appealing to the aggrieved parties to accept their fate and join hands with the governor to move our state forward,” Fache said

However, Mr Olajide Adeyemi, a mechanic, expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment of the Supreme Court, saying “judiciary is no more the last hope for the common man in Nigeria”.

According to him, the judgment is a day light robbery on Nigeria’s nascent democracy which is very pathetic.

“I feel sad when I heard the news that the Supreme Court judgment favoured Gov. Bello because he did not deserve it.

Esther Eleojo, a trader, also expressed sadness over the judgment because the governor had brought untold hardships to the people of the state through his unending and timeless screening that has no direction.

“We are fed up of his policies and decisions that are always against the growth and development of the state and the masses,” Eleojo said.

NAN reports that the atmosphere in Kogi after the judgment of the Supreme Court has been calm and peaceful. (NAN)

ASA/OFN