The Adamawa State Governorship Election Tribunal confirmed Umaru Fintiri’s re-election as the state’s legitimately re-elected Governor in the March 2023 gubernatorial election on Saturday.
The requests of All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru were rejected by a three-man panel chaired by Justice Theodora Uloho for lack of merit.
The Tribunal stated in its decision that Fintiri met all of the conditions of the election legislation to be declared the winner, while the petitioners failed to show their case.
Following the Adamawa governorship election, which resulted in a supplementary poll and several contentious moments. The incumbent Fintiri, who ran for reelection, was proclaimed the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 430,861 votes at the end of the drama-filled election, which finished in April, beating Binani, who received 398,738 votes.
Binani and other candidates had petitioned the Tribunal to overturn Fintiri’s election, but the court maintained the incumbent governor’s second-term victory on Saturday.
Previously, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the then Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, sparked outrage following the supplemental election on April 15, 2023, when he declared ‘Binani’ the winner while the results were still being collated.
The scenario forced INEC to overturn Yunusa-Ari’s judgement and suspend him, while President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the election commissioner and the security officers present when he made the declaration.
Following then, INEC declared Fintiri as the legitimate victor of the drama-filled election. Yunusa-Ari was eventually apprehended and handed over to authorities for trial.
Binani asked the Tribunal to uphold the result published by Yunusa-Ari and proclaim her the winner with a majority of votes, or to annul the election and hold a new election.
However, the Tribunal stated in its judgement that Fintiri met all of the legal conditions to be returned and that the petitioners failed to establish otherwise.
The Tribunal stated that the petitioners’ inability to lead and show evidence on Section 179 of the Electoral Act is fruitless, and in the lack of any other proof, the petition fails and is dismissed.
It went on to say that Yunusa-Ari’s declaration was ultar vires, meaning it was null and invalid.
Soon after the verdict, PDP supporters flocked to the Tribunal grounds, shouting solidarity songs in joy.
Speaking to the media immediately after, Fintiri praised the judges and called the decision as a win for democracy and the people.
