The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State on Saturday dismissed the petition filed by the Action Peoples Party seeking the nullification of the governorship election in the state.
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Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party won the election held in March.
The APP wanted Fintiri’s victory voided because the Independent National Electoral Commission excluded Bitrus Maida, who it presented as its candidate for the poll after Rukkaya Audu withdrew from the race to support the PDP candidate.
In their ruling, the three-member panel chaired by Justice Adediran Adebara dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked merit.
The tribunal held that Audu didn’t put her withdrawal from the contest in writing.
The judges also held that the APP failed to comply with the guidelines stipulated by the Electoral Act that notice of withdrawal by any candidate before an election must be made at least 45 days before the polls.
It, therefore, dismissed the suit for lacking merit, saying INEC did no wrong by maintaining the status quo.
The cost of N300,000 was also awarded against the APP.
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