The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the victory of Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as the governor of Adamawa state.
A panel of three judges on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, thereby upholding the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
In the judgment delivered by the presiding judge, Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye, each of the three respondents was awarded N500,000. Binani, who ran as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), contested Governor Fintiri’s election (Peoples Democratic Party) at the election petitions tribunal. Her challenge was based on alleged irregularities and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, including issues related to non-accreditation, improper accreditation, overvoting, violence, and snatching of election materials.
Binani argued that Fintiri’s election could not be valid as there were multiple declarations of the winner and returns made. According to her, she was initially declared the winner by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, creating a situation with two different declarations of a winner in the election. The Court of Appeal’s ruling affirms Fintiri’s victory and settles the legal contest over the governorship election in Adamawa state.
