Umar Ardo, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa State, has withdrawn his appeal against Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s re-election.
The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, ruled that the appeal filed by the SDP and its candidate seeking the nullification of Fintiri’s re-election lacked merit and was consequently dismissed.
Background
The legal battle stemmed from the 2023 general elections, where Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenged Governor Fintiri’s victory at the election petitions tribunal.
Binani alleged irregularities, non-accreditation, improper accreditation, overvoting, violence, and election material snatching, questioning the validity of Fintiri’s win.
The panel of three judges, led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye, not only dismissed Binani’s appeal but also affirmed the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
In a significant move, Justice Awotoye awarded N500,000 in favor of each of the three respondents, solidifying the court’s stance on the meritless nature of the appeal.
Governor Fintiri’s victory in the 2023 supplementary election, where he secured 9,337 votes against Binani’s 6,513, has faced legal challenges since.
Binani argued that the election had conflicting declarations of a winner, emphasizing her earlier declaration by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.