Billy Graham Abel Yola

A state High Court sitting in Yola has vacated its earlier restraining order stopping INEC from conducting supplementary elections in Adamawa State.

Justice Abdulaziz Waziri while vacating the order said elections are a constitutional matter and the court would not be used to halt the process.

The counsel to the PDP, Joe Gadzama said: “The court has today vacated the order restraining INEC from conducting supplementary elections in Adamawa.

“Which means INEC has been allowed to go ahead with the elections; it is a sweet victory but we will remain vigilant.”

On whether the court has the jurisdiction to hear the case, he said: “I align with the position of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“The judgement was delivered in my presence and I have applied for a copy of the judgement to help this court out of its quagmire but unfortunately the judgement has not been signed then but I will receive the copy today and bring it to the attention of my Lord.

“The judgement upholds that both the state high court and the federal high court, do not have the jurisdiction to determine any dispute that arises as a result of the conduct  governorship elections or any other elections because it is only the election petition tribunal, whether governorship or National Assembly elections petition tribunal that has the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain any matter relating to the conduct of elections in the country.

“These laws have been clear and these laws are extant; there is no confusion about it.

“Our candidate is the candidate to beat; he is already leading by 32,000 votes and all the area where the supplementary elections are to held are according to my client, PDP’s strongholds.”

The Adamawa supplementary election is one whose outcome is predictable as the opposition party, PDP, has submitted to INEC that beyond the 44,988 total number of registered voters in the 44 polling units for supplementary election, that the total number of PVC’s collected within the areas stipulated for the supplementary elections is 31,027, which is less than the margin of lead which is 32,476.”

The waiting game is still on as all eyes are now on INEC for the date for the election.