The Supreme Court has upheld the victory of Adamu Fintiri in the Adamawa State governorship election, dismissing the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Fintiri as the winner of the March 18 governorship election and the supplementary poll held on April 16, 2023. Despite a conflicting declaration by the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, INEC nullified Ari’s announcement, leading to his arrest.
The lower courts, including the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, had earlier upheld Fintiri’s victory, deeming the appeals by Binani and the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, Umar Ardo, as lacking merit.
In the Supreme Court’s lead judgment delivered by John Okoro, he emphasized that Binani’s appeal lacked merit. The court also criticized the conduct of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, for declaring Binani as the winner, calling it irresponsible and criminal. Okoro clarified that the exclusive authority to announce election results lies with the Returning Officer, not the REC.
