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The Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, yesterday, affirmed the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dr. Umar Ardo, and his party had challenged Fintiri’s victory before the tribunal, alleging corrupt practices, threat and violence at the election.
Ardo, who joined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 16 others as respondents in the election petition, prayed the tribunal to nullify the entire exercise.
Dismissing the petition, chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Theodora Uloho, said it was defective, incompetent and lacking in merit.
“The petition is incongruous and not properly instituted before the tribunal. The petitioners are not certain about what they want,’’ she stated.
Counsel to Ardo, Mr. Sylvester Emmanuel, said the petitioner would file an appeal to upturn the verdict.
Deputy Governor, Mrs. Kaletapwa George-Farauta, however, described the judgment as a victory for democracy. She noted that in spite of the petition, Governor Fintiri’s administration would continue to be magnanimous in victory and called on the petitioners to join hands with the government to build a new Adamawa.
Finitri had polled 430,861 votes to beat Madam Aisha Dahiru, popularly called Binani, who got 398,788 votes in both the main and re-run elections.
