A Magistrate Court sitting in Yola has imposed a N3 million administrative fine on the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, Ambassador Omar Suleiman Omarana, over an alleged defacement of public property through the indiscriminate placement of campaign posters.
The judgement delivered by a Chief Magistrate Musa Adamu of Magistrate Court II, Yola, Thursday in a matter initiated by the Adamawa State Ministry of Environment in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General.
The state government accused the ADC candidate of violating an executive order which prohibits political parties, candidates and supporters from pasting campaign posters on government buildings, public infrastructure and other state-owned facilities.
Reacting shortly after the judgment, counsel to Ambassador Omarana, Barrister Bala Sanga, explained that the court did not convict his client of any criminal offence.
Barrister Bala Sanga told newsmen shortly that the proceedings were purely administrative. “If it were a criminal trial, we would have entered a full-blown defence and ventilated all the issues appropriately as no criminal charge was read to the defendant, no plea was taken and no formal arraignment took place.
”He has not been found guilty of any offence. It is an administrative fine. No charge was read, no plea was taken and no arraignment was made. The court agreed with our position that this was an administrative issue,” Sanga said.
While declining to comment on the possible political implications of the ruling, he said such judgments should be left to members of the public and politicians, ” my concern as a lawyer is with legal issues, however the political consequences are for the public to judge”.
Also speaking after the judgment, Professor Jeffrey T. Barminas, representing the Omarana Campaign Organisation, said the ADC respects the decision of the court as “as law-abiding citizens and respect the decision of the court”.
Professor Barminas also emphasized that the judgment did not amount to a criminal conviction but was based on an executive order regulating the use of public infrastructure during political campaigns, adding the campaign organisation would fully comply with every aspect of the court’s decision.
He disclosed that the campaign had already directed its supporters to stop placing posters on prohibited public structures and would immediately commence the removal of campaign materials wherever they had been pasted in violation of the government’s directive.
”We have already sensitised our supporters through our social media platforms not to paste campaign materials in places that violate the environmental regulations. Following today’s judgment, we will ensure that such posters are removed,” he said.
When asked why only the ADC candidate appeared to be facing prosecution despite similar posters belonging to other political actors being visible across government facilities, Professor Barminas declined to comment, saying, “I will leave that for the public to assess.
The Ministry of Environment has consistently maintained that the directive applies equally to all political parties, candidates, organisations and individuals, insisting that the policy is intend to preserve public assets, maintain environmental sanitation and ensure orderly political campaigns across the state.
Adamawa Court fines ADC Guber Candidate N3m for violating Executive Order
