Adamawa Governorship: Appeal Court Affirms Fintiri's Victory... Asks Binani To Pay N.5m

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Monday, declared Ahmadu Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 Adamawa State Governorship election, the winner of the controversial election.

The court dismissed the petition against the declaration of Fintiri as the winner of the election by the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC Aishatu Binani.

Justice Tunde Awotoye, prepared the judgement which was read by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, ruled that the petition of the APC candidate lacked merit.

The Court, also awarded the cost of N500,000 in favour of Fintiri and the PDP against Binani, and condemned the premature announcement of the election result by the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Ari.

According to the Court, the announcement of Binani as the winner of the election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner was illegal and against the procedure prescribed for the announcement of the election results.

The judges averred that its only the Returning Officer has such power to announce results.

According to the Appeal Court, the judgment of the Adamawa governorship election petition tribunal affirming the re-election of Fintiri as governor of the state was in order. 

The three-member panel dismissed the petition filed by Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, to nullify the victory of Fintiri over allegations that the election was marred by vote buying, thuggery, and over-voting.

Recall that Adamawa’s governorship election became controversial after Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who was later suspended, declared Binani as the winner of the election before the collation of the supplementary poll ordered by INEC.

Yunusa-Ari declared Binani as the election winner in the absence of the returning officer.

However, INEC dismissed the announcement and summoned the REC to its headquarters in Abuja.

Fintiri was declared the winner of the election with 430,861 votes to Binani’s 398,788 votes at the end of the collation.