Lokoja – Mr Williams Aliwo, former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Kogi, on Friday said Justice Gabriel Kolawole of Abuja Federal High court was right in declining jurisdiction in the State’s governorship election impasse.

Aliwo made the remark during interview in Lokoja on Friday.

The lawyer said jurisdictions of courts were a creation of the law and the courts had respect for and abide by their constitutional limits.

He added that election tribunals were vested with powers to adjudicate on election matters.

Aliwo said Gov. Idris Wada and James Faleke would have to go to the tribunal and file their petitions as the tribunal remained the only body vested with the jurisdiction to entertain their matters.

Mr Habuh-Rajan Suleiman, Vice-President, Kogi Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (KOCCIMA), said the court did the right thing.

He described the exercise as “an abuse of moral justice”, adding that the election was clearly won by APC on Audu/Faleke ticket having scored in 16 local government areas with the required constitutional percentage in the 21 councils.

Suleiman faulted INEC’s decision to declare the election inconclusive and thereby created the impasse, saying that the APC on Audu/Faleke ticket should have been declared winner to save the state and nation the imbroglio.

“APC should have been declared winner considering the fact that INEC declared the election inconclusive on the basis of 49,000 names on the voters’ register.

‘’In actual fact those eligible to vote were less than 25, 000”, he said.

Siaka Mohammed, a businessman, said that the court’s judgment had thrown the state into more confusion.

He said that the people had waited eagerly for a court pronouncement that would have put an end to the saga.

Mohammed said asking the parties to approach the tribunal for proper adjudication on the matters arising from the constitutional lacuna over Audu’s demise was like asking the people to “wait endlessly.”

Danladi Abuh, also a businessman, said Kogi people had looked forward to a judicial solution from the court to end the impasse and to rest the matter once and for all.

INEC in Kogi has declared its readiness to conduct supplementary election in the 91 polling units across the state where the Nov.21, polls were declared inconclusive.