Supreme Court dismisses SDP's petition against Adamawa Gov, Fintiri
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal brought before it by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its governorship candidate, Dr Umar Ardo challenging the declaration of Ahmadu Fintiri as Adamawa State governor.
SDP and its candidate had scored 6,000 votes and challenged the declaration of Fintiri and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled over 430,000 votes at the March 18, 2023 election.
The grouse of the SDP and Ardo was that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Galaxy Tv reports that at the Wednesday's proceedings, counsel to the appellants, Sylvester Imhanobe, was taken up to substantiate how the election was conducted without following the Electoral Act.
Upon discovering the hint of the apex court, the appellants withdrew their appeal, having been found unmeritorious.
Justice John Inyang Okoro, who led a 5-man panel of Justices of the Court, dismissed the appeal without any cost against the appellants.
The apex court subsequently affirmed the election of Fintiri as being validly elected and lawfully declared as the Governor of Adamawa State.
Ardo and his party had filed a petition at the Adamawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal after Fintiri, the candidate of PDP, was declared the winner of the poll.
In another development, the Apex Court also on Wednesday reserved judgment in an appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe, seeking the nullification of the election of Alex Oti as the Governor of Abia State.
Justice John Inyang Okoro reserved the judgment till a date to be communicated to parties after taking their final arguments.
Though PDP's legal team was led by the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN, the arguments were however presented by Uche Ihediuwa, SAN.
While presenting the PDP'S submissions, Ihediuwa alleged that Ahiwe was short-changed with over 84,000 votes during the collation of the governorship election results.
The lawyer alleged that the agent of the PDP was chased away at the collation center and as such, was not obliged a copy of the results as required by law.
However, Otti, represented by Abiodun John Owonikoko, SAN, asked the apex court to dismiss the appeal for want of merit.
Owonikoko informed the court that Otti scored over 174,000 votes at the March 18, 2023 governorship election to emerge victorious adding that even if the purported 84,000 short-changed votes were added to PDP, the appellants would still not win.
After taking the arguments, Justice Okoro announced that judgment has been reserved and that the date of delivery would be communicated to the parties involved.
Counsels to parties expressed optimism for favourable judgement from the court.
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