Tribunal Upholds Adamawa Gov’s Election
The Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Saturday, dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Senator Aishatu Binani, against the state governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
Binani, in her petition which had the Independent National Electoral Commission, Fintiri and thw Peoples Democratic Party as the first, second and third respondents respectively, alleged that the election was not in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
In her judgement, the Chairman of the tribunal, T. O. Uloho, dismissed the petition and affirmed Fintiri’s victory.
Uloho, in the lead judgement delivered on behalf of the three-member panel, said while dismissing the petition, “The petitioners woefully failed to establish their allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and prove their case with cogent, credible and satisfactory evidence.”
The tribunal further held that the court is an adjudicator and not an investigator, saying that all the witnesses of the petitioners came with documentary hearsay and failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
INEC, on April 18, 2023, declared Fintiri winner of the governorship election after a supplementary election was held to conclude the process which was initially declared inconclusive.
