The declaration of Ododo by INEC sparked protests in Kogi State and Abuja late last year, as even the commission had initially admitted widespread fraud in the process in five LGAs and halted collation and announcement of results on November 12, 2033 to investigate the malpractices.
But in the middle of the investigation, INEC, surprisingly declared Ododo winner and asked aggrieved contestants to go court.
However, Ajaka, the closest rival and Dino Melaye, the second runner-up, initially declared they would not challenge the results at the tribunal. Ajaka gave no reason for his resolve, but Melaye had declared that the Nigerian judiciary was so corrupt that it was impossible to get justice once you had been robbed of electoral victory.
Ajaka, alleged to be under pressure from supporters, later recanted and filed a petition at the Tribunal, which was constituted a few weeks before the election, which was held on November 11, 2023.
In the course of the trial, Ajaka and even INEC who was against him produced exhibits mainly the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewings Porta (I-rev) to establish that there was a discrepancy of over 250,000 votes between the voters accredited to vote and results awarded to Ododo in eight Local Governments proven to have overvoted namely Adavi, Ajaokuta, Kogi, Lokoja, Ogori-Magongo,Okehi, Okene and Bassa.
However the tribunal is set to reaffirm the electoral heist that ushered Ododo in despite the overwhelming evidence and a concensus among legal pundits that the results in eight local government areas which gave Ododo victory would be nullified in accordance with the 2022 Electoral Act 51(2) .
The section provides outright cancellation of results in areas where votes exceed accreditation recorded by BVAS.
Ododo’s godfather and former Governor Yahaya Bello, now a fugitive from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), our sources reveal had already secured the tribunal to serve his interest even before the election.
It is reliably gathered that Bello had paid the President of the court of appeal, Justice Mrs Monica Dongban Mensem a N500m long before the elections to give him the latitude of nominating the judges that will serve on the governorship elections tribunal.
With the deal secured with Mrs. Mensem, Bello, investigations reveal, asked the President of the Kogi State Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Siyaka Momohjimoh Usman, to use his network in the judiciary to handpick judges that will adjudicate in the Tribunal.
It was Justice Usman a current member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) who shortlisted the three judges including Birnin-kudu who is said to have been his friend since both of them met as members of a union of moslem law students in Sokoto 90s .
But despite been handpicked in a crooked arrangement, Birnin-kudu was said to have upped the ante last week when he told Justice Siyaka Usman that the Ododo case was incurably bad and there was no way the tribunal could endorse his election without the public knowing they have been compromised.
Ododo and Bello who is hiding in Lokoja Government House according to sources were convinced that the tribunal Chairman was trying to armtwist them into paying higher than an initially agreed price of N1.5 billion naira when they were nominated. They were said to have subsequently agreed to pay US$2 million.
On Wednesday, May 22, a top management staff of UBA, one Funke Esseyin, was said to have been directed by Bello to release US$2 million to proxies of the Chairman of the tribunal
It was learnt that the 21 LGAs in Kogi State have been withdrawing N60m cash monthly since February and handing it over to the said Funke to covert to dollars on the instructions of Ododo
The LGA contributions will continue indefinitely to fund the litigations mostly through the bribing of judicial officers up to the apex court .
The lady is a Deputy General Manager of the bank is believed to be a money launderer for Yahaya Bello and now Ododo using her connections in the banking sector and a shadowy Funke Esseyin Foundation is keeping the cash to fund the litigations from the tribunal to the apex courts.
But the Birnin-kudu Tribunal, obviously overwhelmed with euphoria of the windfall, raised suspicion when it released the date of judgement to the Ododo/ Bellsince last Wednesday but failed to notify other parties to the case.
Even the Secretary of the Tribunal Mr. David Umar Mike told newsmen that the tribunal was yet to fix a date for judgement even though Monday had already been widely published as the Dday.
Lawyers to the other litigants were eventually officially informed Sunday evening of the decision to give judgment on monday.
Mr Yahaya Bello is expected to come out of hiding and submit himself to the EFCC within the week if the judgement goes according to plans.
He was said to have avoided capture till now for fear that if he’s incarcerated,other forces could influence the tribunal judges and get them to nullify Ododo’s declaration as governor .