The long-awaited judgment in the Adamawa State Governorship legal battle between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their governorship candidates, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani and the incumbent Governor Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri, is set to be delivered today, December 18th, at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
This legal tussle stems from the disputed election conducted on March 18th, with the incumbent Governor Fintiri of the PDP declared as the winner by the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The outcome of this judgment is pivotal for both political parties and the future governance of Adamawa State.
A notice of the judgment delivery, served on Binani and Fintiri’s legal teams, has confirmed that the Court of Appeal will pronounce its verdict at 12 noon. In adherence to the law, lawyers representing both political camps have been urged to be present for the judgment delivery.
Bukola Gaa, the Personal Assistant on Media to the President of the Court of Appeal, has affirmed that the appellate court has made all necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth and secure judgment delivery.
The legal battle, which has been ongoing since December 5th, saw arguments presented by the two parties involved, culminating in the court reserving judgment. This included the appeal for setting aside of the Tribunal’s judgment by the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Akin Olujimi, SAN, who represented Binani and the APC. On the other hand, the respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Fintiri, and the PDP – fervently prayed for the dismissal of the appeal on grounds of incompetence and lack of merit.
The Adamawa State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal had previously dismissed Binani’s petition seeking the sack of Fintiri from office, asserting the victory of Fintiri in the March 18 governorship election.
In her petition, Binani had urged the annulment of the governorship election citing non-compliance with the electoral act. However, the Tribunal, in its judgment delivered by Justice T. O. Uloho in October, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit and upheld Fintiri’s victory.
As the clock ticks towards the crucial judgment hour, the fate of Adamawa State’s governance hangs in the balance. The eyes of the nation are fixed on the Court of Appeal in keen anticipation of this landmark decision.
