Court dismisses suit challenging adamawa governorship election
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Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Adamawa Governorship Election
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the outcome of the 2019 Adamawa State governorship election. The suit was filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umaru Fintiri, who lost to the incumbent Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fintiri had approached the court, seeking an order to nullify the election and declare him the winner. He alleged that the election was marred by irregularities and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to conduct a free and fair election.
However, in a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit, holding that Fintiri failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims. The judge also held that the petition was statute-barred, as it was filed outside the 21-day time frame stipulated by the Electoral Act.
The court's decision is a major boost for Governor Bindow, who was declared the winner of the election by INEC. The governor had been facing intense pressure from the opposition PDP to step down, but the court's ruling has cleared the way for him to continue in office.
The ruling is also seen as a setback for the PDP, which had been hoping to use the court to challenge the outcome of the election and potentially gain control of the state government.