The Adamawa State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Yola, the state capital, has fixed Saturday, 28th October to hear a case challenging the handling of the last governorship election in the state.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aishatu Ahmed (better known as Binani) had instituted the case questioning the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject her declaration as winner of the 15th April governorship rerun in the state.
On 16th April, the now suspended INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Barrister Hudu Ari-Yunusa declared Binani winner of the supplementary election conducted the day before, but which was yet to be fully collated.
Reacting to the premature declaration by Ari-Yunusa, INEC immediately nullified the action, suspended the REC, concluded the collation, and announced Governor Ahmed Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was running for a second term, as winner of the election.
On 5th May, Binani approached the state Governorship Election Tribunal to raise objections against INEC, including its declaration of Fintiri as winner.
In its latest action on Binani’s petition, the tribunal, on Tuesday, issued a notice calling on the parties to the suit to appear before it on 28th October.
The Notice of Hearing indicated that the “petition between Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru & 1 other; and INEC & 2 others will be heard on the 28th day of October 2023 “and on such other days as the tribunal may determine”.
