The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment on an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru (Binani), challenging the outcome of the governorship election in Adamawa State held on March 18, 2023. The appellants sought the court to overturn the decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which both upheld Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s re-election.
The APC and Binani argued that Binani had polled the majority of valid votes cast and was validly declared the winner by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner. On the other hand, Governor Fintiri urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal and validate his election victory.
The Court of Appeal had previously dismissed Senator Dahiru’s appeal, holding that it was vague. The appellate court affirmed Governor Fintiri’s election victory, stating that the grounds of appeal lacked competence and that the appellants failed to substantiate the allegations of electoral fraud and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Fintiri the winner of the election after a supplementary poll, where he polled 430,861 votes against Binani’s 398,788 votes. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Binani approached the tribunal, alleging corrupt practices and non-compliance with electoral provisions. The tribunal and the Court of Appeal both dismissed her petition.
The Supreme Court, after hearing final arguments from all parties, adjourned the matter for judgment. The apex court is expected to make a decision on the appeal at a later date.
