The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claims that the judgment of the Court of Appeal in favour of Governor Yahaya Bello does not vitiate or detract from the fact, by hard evidence, that it won the November 16, 2019 Kogi state governorship election.

In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it noted with shock that the Appeal Court, in its judgment, decided to discount the merit of the evidences before it, which showed that the PDP candidate, Engr. Musa Wada scored the highest valid votes in the election.

According to the Ologbondiyan’s communique, the PDP observed that the judgment of the Appeal Court will be a major setback to our democratic process if left unchallenged, but expressed confidence that justice will be served on the merit of the case by the Supreme Court.

The statement further reads, “Our party holds that discounting of hard evidence of over-voting, massive thumb printing, voter intimidation, thuggery and other irregularities and malpractices used by the APC and compromised INEC officials to manipulate the results of the election would be reviewed at the Supreme Court.

“Justice on any matter is based on the weight of evidence before a court. The failure by the Appeal Court to consider key and essential ingredients of evidence before it on their merit, as already admitted and upheld by a judgment of a preceding court, amounted to a frustration of the course of justice in the matter.

“The PDP restates its insistence that the evidences are clear that its candidate is the genuine choice of the people in the November 16, 2019 election.

“The people of Kogi state now look up to the Supreme Court to reverse this injustice handed over to them, especially, given the evidence laid, as affirmed by the courageous verdict of Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele at the Election Tribunal”.

The PDP urged the people not to despair over the judgment of the Appeal Court but to remain calm and prayerful, “as justice will definitely be served at the Supreme Court”.