Billy Graham Abel, Yola

The Adamawa State Election Petition Tribunal has thrown out a petition filed by Binta Masi Garba and Mohammed Mo-Allahyidi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to upend the victory of Ishaku Elisha Cliff Abbo and Binos Dauda Yaroe of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2019 senatorial elections for both northern and southern Adamawa senatorial districts.

The Tribunal seating in Yola threw out both cases for lack of merit

One of the petitioners, Masi Garba, had approached the Tribunal challenging the victory of Senator Abbo in the election over claims of irregularities.

Delivering the ruling Thursday, the lead Judge, Justice Suleiman Akanbi, said the petitioner failed to produce sufficient evidence to prove her case beyond a reasonable doubt, prompting him to dismiss the case for lack of merit.

The petitioner had earlier alleged that the respondent was not duly elected, alleging that the election was marred by widespread irregularities.

Similarly, the Tribunal upheld the election of the Senator Yaroe representing southern Adamawa, after it dismissed the petition filed by the former senator representing southern Adamawa, Mohammed Mo-Allahyidi.

The Justice Akambi led Election Tribunal dismissed the petition of APC candidate Mo-Allahyidi over his failure to provide concrete evidence to back his allegations that the election was marred with corrupt practices, rigging, irregularities and overvoting.

The Tribunal similarly dismissed the petition filed by Muktar Kabiru of the PDP, challenging the victory of Abdulrazak Namdas of the APC.

The petition filed by Olvadi Bema Madayi of the APC challenging the victory of the PDP’s Kwamoti Laori was also squashed by the Tribunal.

Reacting to the ruling, counsel to Adamawa State PDP Leonard Nzadon said:

“The judgement is a victory for democracy and the rule of law, and parties that did not get a favourable hearing today can attest that it was fair to all parties.”

The Adamawa State legal adviser for the APC, Shagna Pwamaddi said, “The party would proceed to appeal the cases they have lost.”