By our Correspondent
Ahead of the Court of Appeal verdict over the Adamawa state governorship election dispute, an aide to governor Ahmadu Fintiri, on new media, Alhaji Muhammad B. Tukur, has boosted in the Adamawa state capital yola, that the appellate court will today, deliver judgment in favour of his principal and the appeal will be dismissed.
The Court had slated December 18, 2023 to pronounce its decision on the appeal before it by the Adamawa State Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani).
A highly placed political source yesterday night told our Correspondent that one of the senior media handlers to governor Ahmadu Fintiri, had claimed that his principal had reached out to Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye( Presiding) and Justice Ebiowei Tobi, ahead of the judgment.
On the panel of justices handling the election dispute are Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye( Presiding), JUSTICE EBIOWEI TOBI and Justice Amina Audi Wambai, respectively.
A highly placed political source, late last night told our Correspondent that one of the governor top political aide, Alhaji Tukur, has claimed that the governor through his legal team has reached out to the panel members that are adjudicating over the matter to secure judgment in favour of governor Fintiri.
According to the source, already close members of the governor’s kitchen cabinet, political associates and family members are already celebrating the judgment that is yet to be delivered later today, particularly, in yola Adamawa state capital.
Senator Binani, is challenging the victory of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last governorship election, Ahmadu Fintiri, who has since been functioning as the state governor.
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier heard the case and reserved judgment, will today deliver the awaited judgment
Binani had gone to the Court of Appeal shortly after the Adamawa State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal in October 2023 dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC and herself.
Binani had approached the tribunal asking it to quash the declaration of Governor Fintiri by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as elected governor of Adamawa State.
In her petition challenging the governorship election conducted by INEC on March 18, 2023, Binani, who named INEC, Fintiri, and PDP as the first, second, and third respondents respectively, asked the tribunal to annul the election over non-compliance with the Nigerian Electoral Act.
The tribunal had, however, dismissed Binani’s petition and affirmed Fintiri’s victory, after which Binani filed an appeal at the appellate court.
