Tribunal Verifies Adamawa Governor’s Election, Confirmed Fintiri As Winner....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, has upheld Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as the legitimate winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election held in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This decision follows the rejection of the petition lodged by Dr. Umar Ardo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who contested the outcome of the March 18 election and Governor Fintiri’s subsequent declaration as the winner after the supplementary election on April 16.

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Dr. Ardo, in his petition filed on May 8, listed INEC, Governor Fintiri, and 16 others as respondents. He alleged that the election did not conform to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The petitioners further claimed that corrupt practices, such as bribery, threats, and violence, marred the conduct of the election by the first respondent. They sought the annulment of the entire electoral process.

In response, the first to fourth respondents argued that the petition was time-barred and, as such, could not be considered by the tribunal. They also contended that the petition lacked supporting evidence and did not comply with the Electoral Act’s requirements.

However, in her judgment today, the tribunal’s Chairperson, Theodorer Uloho, dismissed the petition as “incompetent, defective, incongruous, and not properly instituted before the tribunal.”

Furthermore, the presiding judge asserted that the petitioners were not clear about their desired outcome.

Uloho emphasized that allegations of corrupt practices must be supported by compelling and reliable evidence. Failure to do so rendered the petition without value, significance, or evidentiary weight.

As a result, the petition was dismissed, and a sum of N200,000 was awarded in favor of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respondents.

In response to the tribunal’s verdict, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, the deputy governor of Adamawa State, hailed it as a “victory for Adamawa State.” She also extended an invitation to the defeated party to collaborate with the Fintiri administration for the betterment of the state.

However, Sylvester Emanube, the petitioner’s legal representative, critiqued certain aspects of the judgment, stating, “While many decisions were commendable, there are some that warrant further examination, particularly those that align with the decisions made by the Court of Appeal, which were also addressed today.”