As the Supreme Court finally ended legal issues that trailed the 2023 general elections, attention is now focused on complexities and political games that will define 2024. KEKINDE OLATUNJI reports

Unlike 2023 when there were a flurry of political activities, especially the general elections and consequential legal battles, which the Supreme Court just decided on Friday, 2024 is different. Only nine by-elections and two governorship polls will define the political landscape.

 
The governorship elections will take place in Edo and Ondo states, while the by-elections will hold in two senatorial districts – Ebonyi South and Yobe East; re-run elections in four federal constituencies – Akoko North East/North West, Ondo State; Jalingo/Yorro/Zing, Taraba State; Surulere 1, Lagos State and Yuri/Shanga/Ngaski in Kebbi State.   
 
The state constituency’s by-election include: Chibok in Borno State; Chikun, Kaduna State and Guma, Benue State. However, disputes over the outcomes of the March 2023 governorship elections in eight states, have been decided by the Supreme Court on Friday. The states are Lagos, Kano, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Plateau, Abia, Cross River, and Bauchi. Kano, Plateau and Zamfara states received more public attention than others because their governors were sacked by the lower courts.
  
However, the Supreme Court has affirmed the victory of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf; his Abia counterpart Alex Otti. Other governors who smiled after the Supreme Court judgments are, Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
  
Despite the initial scare, the Supreme Court set aside the lower courts’ decisions sacking Governor Yusuf of Kano State. The tribunal had set aside the governor’s victory after declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid.

The tribunal held that the deducted votes were from ballot papers that were neither stamped nor signed. The appeal court, however, declared Nasiru Gawuna of APC, winner of the election.
  
But the Supreme Court on Friday ordered that all the ballot papers from which the appellant votes were deducted should be restored to the governor. Reading the judgment, Justice John Okoro, said the said paper contains the logo of INEC and the coat of arms as prescribed by the provisions of the Electoral Act. He also held that the issue of party membership is an internal affair of the party.

   
While holding the victory of Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment described the decision of the appeal court as “perverse”. He held that the respondents did not provide substantial evidence to prove their allegations of over voting among others.
  
Agim said, “The court of appeal’s decision is perverse. It has no evidential foundation. The appeal has merit, it succeeds and it is allowed. The order that the election is inclusive is hereby set aside. The election of the appellant is upheld.”
  
For Nwifuru, who has the nod of the apex court to continue his work as governor of Ebonyi State, the PDP and its candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, had challenged his election.  Odii had lost at both the tribunal and court of appeal.
   
Reading the lead judgment on Friday, Justice Tijani Abubakar held that Section 177(c) of the constitution didn’t provide for consideration on how the political parties arrived at the decision to sponsor a candidate.
  
He held that once a candidate satisfies the provisions of 177 and is not disqualified by Section 182 of the constitution, the candidate becomes automatically qualified to contest the governorship election. He held that the appeal was unmeritorious and dismissed it.
 
Meanwhile, the apex court also affirmed the election of Alex Otti as the duly elected governor of Abia State. The court dismissed the appeals by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe, and that of Ikechi Emenike of the APC.
  
Otti of the Labour Party (LP) polled 175,466 votes to defeat his closest rival, Okey Ahiwe of the PDP, who scored 88,529 votes in the March 18 governorship election.
  
The Supreme Court upheld the election of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang. Reading the judgment of the apex court on Friday, Justice Emmanuel Agim held that the APC and its candidate are not members of the PDP and cannot challenge the primary election of the PDP. He also held that the tribunal and court of appeal lacked jurisdiction to entertain the issue.
 
Agim noted that the petition of the APC in the first place was an abuse of the court process and faulted the appeal court for sacking the governor. He said, “The petition by the APC and its candidates are an abuse of the court process. I wonder why the matter came to court at all. This appeal is allowed.”
  
“My worry is that a lot of people have suffered as a result of this,” Justice John Okoro said while agreeing with the lead judgment. Besides the court cases, another factor to look out for in 2024 is how the governorship elections would play out in Ondo and Edo states, given the circumstances that surrounded Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu respectively.

As Aiyedatiwa is caught in the web retaining the state executive council constituted by his late predecessor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and compensating his loyalists, his eyes are also focused on how to emerge as the APC candidate in the November governorship election in the state. Although many believed that one of his first assignments was supposed to be the announcement of his deputy, the governor, who has been consulting among critical stakeholders in the state, is obviously in the dilemma of not offending anyone to strengthen his chances of winning the hearts of those loyal to his predecessor.

He is torn between naming a candidate from the camp of his late boss or a different candidate, which could dictate the nature of opposition he would face in the build-up to the governorship primary in April 2024.

It was gathered that during his first visit to President Bola Tinubu, after being sworn-in, Aiyedatiwa was advised not to appoint a deputy governor until APC in the state is organised and members are reconciled. Recall that there was a prolonged battle between Aiyedatiwa and party chieftains, Akeredolu’s aides and some members of the state assembly who mooted his impeachment. There was a crack in the party hence the need for reconciliation with all aggrieved members of the party in the state.

However, his loyalists are impatient as they lobby for appointments in his government and pressurising the governor to dissolve the old cabinet to give room for fresh hands.

FOR Shaibu, his greatest obstacle in achieving his dream of becoming governor of Edo State is his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki. The battle between them began when Shaibu indicated his interest in becoming Obaseki’s successor, time it is said heals, but unfortunately, with time, the running battle has ceased to come to an end.
  
The governorship election in the state comes up on September 21, 2024, while the primary will be held in February. To compound his challenges, PDP leaders in Edo North and many critical stakeholders, recently endorsed former Sterling Bank chairman, Asue Ighodalo, as their preferred governorship candidate. The meeting was at the instance of a former deputy governor of the state, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, and had in attendance many party heavyweights. The meeting, which was held in Oghiadomhe residence in Fuga, had in attendance the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, former Senator Yisa Braimoh, former House of Representatives member, Johnson Abolagba and a former House of Assembly Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto.
  
Also in attendance were Otunba Olu Fashanu, Dr. Bolaji Ojebuobuo, Joe Ekpenkhio, Omo Ezomon, Uyi Maiaika, Henry Tenebe, serving and former Edo State PDP functionaries, as well as all the LGA council chairmen.
  
They unanimously endorsed Ighodalo as the favoured aspirant to get the PDP ticket ahead of the September governorship election. Ighodalo is rumoured to have the backing of Governor Obaseki, who is opposed to Shaibu’s ambition to succeed him.

Speaking, Shaibu expressed his sense of betrayal by his principal, Obaseki, for not backing his candidature. Shaibu, who claimed that he was persuaded to be the deputy governor to Obaseki, said he added value to his principal’s government in terms of political structure and his finances. He said he was hurt that Obaseki was supporting an outsider instead of him.

He said: “I was persuaded and there was no protest. I didn’t want to be a deputy governor. I was very comfortable in the House of Representatives. It took almost one month to get me accepted to be the deputy governor of Edo State.

“I agreed to add value to the ticket of Obaseki because Obaseki was not known and he was not one of the politicians. They needed a young, vibrant politician that has won the election before and that can add political value to the ticket,” he said.

Speaking on his perceived betrayal, he said, “I feel betrayed by the governor. I feel very betrayed. When we go to church, certain biblical verses are beginning to make sense to me. There is this particular verse that has been going through my mind: ‘The heart of man is desperately wicked.’ When I see what the governor is doing, the verse now makes sense to me.

“I added value in terms of my political structure, my finances. All the vehicles that were used to campaign in 2016 are mine. I lost about 20 per cent of my political capital in Edo North to support Godwin Obaseki, and in supporting him even as deputy governor.
 
“I supported the second term bid of the governor with my finances. Including how we got the ticket of the PDP, I contributed financially, both in naira and in dollars. If I say betrayal, it’s an understatement. I feel very hurt and betrayed.”

The trio of Obaseki, Shaibu, and PDP Deputy National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih would play key roles in who emerges as the standard bearer of the PDP in the state, while former Governor Oshiomhole, now the Senator representing Edo North remains the godfather of the APC.