Politics
Adamawa Gov’ship Tussle: Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Binani’s Appeal
The Supreme Court, on Monday, reserved judgment on an appeal the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship election that held in Adamawa State on March 18, 2023.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, adjourned the matter for judgment, after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument.
Specifically, the appellants, through their legal team headed by Chief Akinolu Olujimi (SAN), prayed the court to sack Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State from office.
They urged the Supreme Court to set aside the concurrent verdicts of the Court of Appeal and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld Fintiri’s re-election.
Binani maintained that she polled the majority of valid votes cast at the election and was validly declared the winner by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.
However, Fintiri, through his lawyer, Mr. Damian Dodo (SAN), urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal and validate his election victory.
The appellate court had, in a judgment it delivered on December 18, 2023, dismissed Senator Dahiru’s appeal, even as it awarded a cost of N1 million against her.
While affirming the election of Governor Fintiri, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the appellate court held that Senator Dahiru’s appeal was vague.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had at the end of a supplementary election held in Adamawa State, announced that Fintiri polled 430,861 votes to defeat Binani of the APC who got a total of 398,788 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Binani approached the tribunal. She alleged that the election was fraught with corrupt practices and manifest non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
She urged the Justice Theodora Obi Uloho-led tribunal to declare that she was the valid winner of the governorship election. The panel refused and dismissed her petition.
While affirming the decision of the tribunal, the appellate court, in its lead verdict that was read by Justice Ebiowei Tobi, held that the 27 grounds of appeal the APC candidate brought before it, lacked competence.
It held that the appellants failed to, by way of credible evidence, substantiate the allegations they raised against the outcome of the election. It stressed that their claim that electoral fraud took place in 14,104 polling units in the state was not proven.
More so, the court noted that the record of proceedings transmitted from the tribunal, as well as the briefs of argument that were filed by the appellants, were incomplete.
The appellate court further emphasised that only a Returning Officer at an election has the statutory power to declare the results of the election.
It will be recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier granted INEC the permission to prosecute its suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
Yunusa-Ari is facing a six-count charge over alleged unlawful role he played in the Adamawa State governorship election held on March 18.
INEC had initially declared that the gubernatorial election was inconclusive and ordered a supplementary poll.
However, midway into the collation of results of the supplementary poll held on April 15, the suspended Adamawa REC, Yunusa-Ari, sidelined protocols and announced the APC candidate, Binani, as the winner.
The action elicited instant reactions. The electoral body not only voided Yunusa-Ari’s action but equally placed him on an indefinite suspension.
The Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo has endorsed the October 5, 2024 local government elections in Rivers State.
Rt Hon. Oko-Jumbo said this on the floor of the House during its legislative sitting on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
He said the House aligned itself with a recent Supreme Court’s judgement which directed all states in the country to ensure democratically elected councils in their respective states.
According to the Speaker, the forthcoming election is also in line with the recent Supreme Court’s judgment which outlawed unelected councils’ leaderships in the country.
Rt Hon Oko-Jumbo also said the election is also in compliance with the order of a Port Harcourt High Court that mandated the state electoral umpire to use the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter register for the election.
The Speaker said the House was also satisfied with the preparations so far made by both the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and the state government for the conduct of the elections.
The number one lawmaker in the State urged security agencies to ensure adequate security of lives and property during the elections, while calling on eligible voters to turn out en mass and vote for candidates of their choice.
Professor of Political Economy, Prof Pat Utomi, has explained that Nigeria’s fortunes can change for the better if people of character are in positions of authority.
The Professor, who was a guest on a live television programme last Wednesday, said the country has the human capital required to achieve greatness.
“Ultimately, values shape human progress. When we have values and people of character and commitment to service (are) in positions of public authority, our country will turn around,” Prof Utomi said on the programme.
“We have the ingredients, the human capital that it takes to show the way”, he said.
Prof Utomi criticised the loss of Nigerian values and customs, attributing it to the breakdown of the nation’s institutions.
He stated that without robust institutions, such as the court and the electoral body, no nation can advance significantly.
“The biggest challenge we have is that culture is in collapse in Nigeria, values shape human progress. How do we get a values revolution? Institutions are critical for human progress if we can commit to building stronger institutions that push back on people who do not do right and the rule of law is fully in place.
“Look at our judiciary, it is a laughing stock – no country can make real progress without a judiciary that you can rely on. Look at our other institutions, whether it is INEC or others; they are weak.
“How do we ensure that we have strong institutions and that we have values that ensure that character matters and that people of character can show a light? We can do it, I am absolutely confident because I have seen it happen in human history,” he said.
He added that young Nigerians were contributing to the nation’s woes by helping to elect dishonest leaders, asserting that when leaders replace nepotism with competence, the nation will prosper.
Governor of Plateau State, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, has promised that he would not interfere with the electoral process ahead of the Oct. 9 local government elections in the state.
Mr Mutfwang said this on Wednesday as the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southern and Central zones of the state held rallies ahead of the election.
He said that the State’s Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) had the task of conducting a free, fair and credible elections across the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of the state.
The governor, who urged the residents of the state to vote candidates of the PDP across board, said that his government had made significant impact in the last one year.
”We have pledged to restore the era of transparent elections in Plateau and this is why we are here to campaign for our candidates.
”Our government is making significant progress and will continue to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people, particularly those in the rural areas.
”So, I call on you to vote for all PDP candidates on Oct. 9; this way, development will spread to all parts of the state,” the governor said.
Mr Mutfwang, who thanked the people of the two zones for overwhelmingly voting him as governor, said that the party would not fail them.
Also, the PDP chairman in the state, Chris Hassan, thanked the people of the zones for their support.
He thanked them for coming out in their numbers to welcome the governor.
Mr Hassan reiterated that the PDP was committed to transforming lives and improving the living condition of the people across the state.
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