Tribunal affirms Fintiri as Adamawa Gov

The Governorship Election Tribunal in Adamawa State has dismissed a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the victory of Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (APC).

Lead judge, Justice Adediran Adebara, while delivering judgement which lasted from 9 am to well past 6 pm on Friday, declared that the petition lacked merit.

The judge averred that even the witnesses of the petitioner were inconsistent in their submissions.

The APC had asked the tribunal to, among other things, annul the election of Fintiri because his election did not comply with provisions of the Electoral Act.

The party alleged over-voting in some places and non-use of the card reader in others.

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In dismissing the claims, the lead judge said the tribunal would ordinarily have struck out the petition outrightly because the direct beneficiary of the reliefs the APC sought was not a party to the petition.

He explained that the party’s candidate, Sen Jibrilla Bindow, was not joined in the petition, in which case if the tribunal granted any relief, it would be an exercise in futility.

He said that in any case, of the 10 prosecution witnesses the APC presented, none was able to prove their allegation that the election that produced Fintiri as governor did not comply substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Reacting to the judgement, APC’s lead counsel, Eme Asuquo, said the party would study the judgement closely and decide its next line of action.