The Appeal Court in Abuja yesterday affirmed the victory of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
The appellate court affirmed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate won the March 18 governorship election.
In a unanimous verdict, the three-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice Tunde Awotoye, dismissed the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani).
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Dahiru’s appeal was against an earlier judgment delivered by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which had equally affirmed Fintiri’s victory in the election.
Justice Ebiowei Tobi, who read the judgment, averred that the appeal by Dahiru was faulty.
Justice Tobi said the record of appeal, containing the proceedings at the trial tribunal, was incompletely transmitted.
He held that the trial tribunal was right to have held that the evidence of the first three witnesses of the appellants (who were petitioners before the tribunal) were hearsay, which is inadmissible.
Justice Tobi added: “On the whole, this appeal lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed.
“The decision of the lower tribunal is hereby confirmed.”
The court awarded N1000,000 as cost against the appellants and the money is to be paid to Fintiri and the PDP.
The chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Theodora Obi-Uloho, held, among others, that the petitioners failed to prove their case.
Justice Obi-Uloho dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked the relevant legal ingredients on which the tribunal could upturn Fintiri’s victory.
