The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Hope Democratic Party (HDP) challenging the judgment of a federal high court which upheld the power of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the party.

Leadership reports that Justices Bitrus Sanga, Lokulo Sodipe and Oniyangi in a unanimous decision adopted its judgment in National Unity Party (NUP) which is on fours with the case put forward by the HDP.

The judgment reinforces the INEC’s position on the deregistration of the 74 parties and their decision to appeal the conflicting judgments from the same appeal court in favour of 22 of the deregistered parties.

It was reported that the apex court in a seven-man panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko, dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Musa Wada.

The court upheld the concurrent decisions of the trial tribunal and the Court of Appeal that the petitioners failed to prove their claim that Bello was not lawfully returned by the INEC as the winner of the election held on November 16, 2019.

The Supreme Court dismissed the request by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Kogi state, Natasha Akpoti for the nullification of the election of Governor Yahaya Bello.

In another report, ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo state, Femi Emodamori, claimed that the deputy governor of Ondo state, Agboola Ajayi, submitted falsified certificates to the INEC.

Emodamori who is an Akure-based lawyer consequently asked INEC to publish the particulars of Ajayi within seven days or he would compel it through the courts to do so.