The Adamawa State Governorship Election Tribunal on Saturday upheld the election of Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri as the duly elected Governor of the state in the March 2023 governorship election. The tribunal’s judgment, delivered by Justice Theodora Obi Uloho, concluded that the petitioners were unable to substantiate their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act of 2022.
The decision of the Adamawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal comes after it had previously scheduled October 28, 2023, as the date for delivering the judgment, addressing a legal challenge to Governor Fintiri’s re-election.
The governorship election in Adamawa was marked by its extension into a supplementary poll and some contentious moments. Ultimately, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the incumbent, Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, who sought re-election, as the winner.
Following a dramatic electoral process that concluded in April, Fintiri, representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured 430,861 votes, surpassing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, who garnered 398,738 votes.
Binani and other contestants had lodged a legal challenge with the Tribunal, seeking to nullify Fintiri’s victory. However, on Saturday, the court affirmed the incumbent governor’s second-term victory.
The election in Adamawa State had drawn controversy when the then Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, announced ‘Binani’ as the winner during the supplementary election on April 15, 2023, while the collation of results was still ongoing. The tribunal’s decision now brings legal closure to the election dispute, solidifying Fintiri’s re-election as the Governor of Adamawa State.
