Adamawa Guber: APC’s Binani Losses Appeal against Fintiri’s Election 

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, as Governor of Adamawa State.

The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment, dismissed the appeal for being incompetent and lacking in merit and subsequently affirmed the declaration of Fintiri as winner of the March 18 governorship election in Adamawa State.

According to the lead judgment prepared by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awoture, the appellant did not prove their petition as required by law at the tribunal and the lower tribunal was right in dismissing the said petition.

It was the findings of the appellate court that the appellant’s brief was incompetent, having being filed prematurely.

Besides, the appellate court held that the record of appeal used in challenging the judgment of the tribunal was incomplete thereby making the appeal incompetent, adding that the appellant abandoned the petition at the lower tribunal and presented inconclusive evidence to prove allegations of non-compliance.

While faulting the appellant for dumping documents before the court, the appellate court held that the witnesses called by the petitioners/appellants were not only inappropriate but not relevant.

The appellate court subsequently upheld the judgment of the tribunal affirming the election of Fintiri as Governor of Adamawa State.

It slammed a cost of N500,000 against the appellant in favour of the second and third respondents.

Details later…