Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The Appeal Court sitting in Yola has uphold the earlier judgment delivered by the governorship Election Tribunal upholding the victory of Adamawa State governor, Ahmad Umaru Fintiri
The tribunal had earlier on dismissed the motion filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the election of Fintiri on the grounds that the petitioner failed to prove allegations of electoral irregularities.
The court presided over by Justice Ali B. Gumel dismissed the appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and affirmed Fintiri as duly elected governor in the last election.
Delivering his judgement, Justice Ali Gumel rules that the main appeal on six issues were distilled from 19 grounds.
“First being whether the Tribunal was right to have held that the non joinder of the former Governor Mohammed Jibrilla in the petition was fatal and incompetent.
“The Appeal Panel set aside the ruling of the lower tribunal and allowed issue one to succeed.
“Issues 2,3,4,5 and 6 were dismissed entirely. By virtue of that the appeal in itself fails and consequently dismissed affirming the judgement of the lower tribunal which a cross appeal by the PDP which was further dismissed by the Appeal Court.”
The APC state organizing secretary, Ahmad Lawan, reacting to the ruling said the party would approach the Supreme Court for redress.
“We are waiting to receive the judgement for the next line of action. But we will definitely go to the Supreme Court to retrieve our mandate,” he said.
Commenting on the judgment,  Governor Fintiri described it as affirmation of the mandate of the electorate given to him.
He assured the people of Adamawa of his unrelenting effort to serve through execution of developmental projects in the state.