The Court of Appeal in Abuja reserved decision on Friday in an appeal brought before it by Dr. Umar Ardo, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), disputing the win of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
After hearing statements from Ardo, his deputy, Amos Yusuf, and the SDP, the appellate court postponed judgment for a date to be announced to parties in the dispute.
While Ardo, through his counsel, urged the court to allow the appeal and annul Fintiri’s election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Fintiri, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are listed as first through fourth respondents, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lack of merit.
Ardo is appealing the decision of the Adamawa State Governorship Election plea Tribunal, which denied his plea to overturn Fintiri’s election as governor of Adamawa State.
The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice T. O. Uloho, dismissed the petition, saying it was incompetent, faulty, discordant, and improperly instituted, and that the petitioners were unsure of what they wanted.
She stated that the petitioners had grouped the grounds of corrupt activities and noncompliance with the Electoral Act together and had failed to file a formal description of the names of witnesses they wanted to summon.
The tribunal upheld Fintiri’s election and granted the sum of N200,000 to INEC, Fintiri, Kaletapwa, and the PDP.
Ardo addressed the appellate court after being dissatisfied with the tribunal’s decision and requesting that it set aside the tribunal’s decision and enter judgment in his favor.