Tribunal dismisses petition challenging Gov Fintiri’s election

The Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed a petition by the Action Peoples Party (APP) and its substitute candidate in the last governorship election,  Bitrus Meda, challenging the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

The APP and Bitrus Meda had asked the tribunal to nullify the election because they were excluded ‘unlawfully’ from the election.

Delivering judgement on the petition on Saturday, however, the tribunal said it could not grant the prayers of the petitioners because they failed to give valid proof of their claim of unlawful exclusion.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had presented the name Rukaya Audu as the APP candidate for the last governorship election, because although Rukaya Audu who was the original candidate had announced intention to withdraw from the poll, she did so only verbally.

The APP which had relied on that verbal action of Rukaya Audu to substitute her with Bitrus Meda, went to the tribunal after INEC had gone ahead to print Rukaya Audu on the ballot, resulting in a 180-vote for the APP with not Bitrus Meda but Rukaya Audu as the candidate known to the electorate.

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Chairman of the governorship election petition tribunal,  Justice Adediran Adebara, who read the text of the judgement, said the petitioners had no valid case, considering the issues around it.

He dismissed the petition and awarded legal cost of N1 million against the petitioners.

In a response to the judgement, Counsel to the petitioners, Solomon Garba, said they had accepted the judgment in good faith.

On his part, Counsel to the PDP, Tahir Shehu, said: “We knew quite early enough that the petition was frivolous, and the tribunal just confirmed our position.”

Also making a remark, Governor Ahamadu Fintiri attributed his victory to God.

Speaking to newsmen Saturday afternoon at the Government House, Yola, Fintiri said: “All praises to Allah the giver of power who has made it that this time I should be the governor of Adamawa State

“For the judiciary, I congratulate them for reaffirming what Adamawa people demonstrated last general election.”