In a recent turn of events, the Abuja Court of Appeal has thrown out the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani. The petition aimed to contest the election victory of Umar Ahmadu Fintiri as the governor of Adamawa State.
The Appellate Court upheld the earlier decision of the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, affirming that Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was rightfully declared the winner. Justice Tunde Oyebanji Awotoye, in a written judgment, cited various irregularities as grounds for the dismissal of Binani and APC’s case.
Among the critical points highlighted by the Appeal Court were the failure of Binani and APC to produce relevant witnesses. The court stressed that Polling Agents, crucial to the case, were not called to testify, and instead, Campaign Coordinators were presented, whose testimony lacked probate value in the eyes of the law.
Additionally, the court deemed the brief of argument filed by Binani and APC as incompetent, in violation of the law, and thus ignored. The records of appeal submitted were also declared incomplete and legally insufficient for the court to make any findings.
The court declared as illegal the proclamation of Binani and APC as winners of the election, asserting that only the Returning Officer has the authority to make such declarations. In light of these findings, the judgment awarded a cost of N1 million to be paid by Binani and APC to Fintiri and the PDP.
The Court criticized Binani for challenging the actions of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and emphasized the importance of allowing the REC to take responsibility for his actions.
This unanimous decision by the Court of Appeal solidifies Fintiri’s legitimacy as the duly elected governor of Adamawa State, providing a conclusive resolution to the legal dispute initiated by Binani and the APC. Further details on this development will be provided as they emerge.
