Governorship Aspirant Ask Court To Disqualify Bello Over Double Registration

The Federal High in Abuja has been asked to disqualify the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress APC in Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello, for an alleged double registration as a voter.

The suit was filed before the Federal High Court by one of the governorship aspirants contesting in the governorship election, Natasha Akpoti, on Monday.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/122/2019 prayed the honorable court to disqualify Governor Bello over an alleged double registration as a voter in 2011 and 2017.

The suit also sought for a ban on Bello from contesting any public office for a period of ten years.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), contended that Bello’s act of double registration as a voter grossly violated section 24(e) of the Electoral Act.

He said “by his wilful act of making double registration, Bello as APC’s candidate, is not a fit and proper persons to be allowed by the 2nd defendant (INEC) to vote or be voted for in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election, having committed acts of electoral fraud.”

The plaintiff alleged that Bello first registered as a voter in Abuja in 2011 and procured the second voter registration card in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, in May 2017.

She said “The transfer was carried out and his permanent voter card was issued to him on February 26, 2018, while his second registration at the Government House, Lokoja was and is still subsisting.

“That the 2nd defendant had severally threatened to prosecute Mr Yahaya Bello, the candidate of the 1st defendant for the said act of double registration with the commission (2nd defendant), but failed to take any discernible action in stopping him from contesting the office of the Governor of Kogi State.”

She stressed that the Governor “is liable to be disqualified and/or barred from contesting, participating and/or voting in the forthcoming election being organised by the 2nd defendant on account of his wrongful violation of section 24(e) of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended.”