Appeal Court Decides Fintiri, Binani’s Fate, Today, Monday

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State was upbeat Sunday as the state awaits the decision of the Court of Appeal on the case filed against him by his opponent in the last governorship election, Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani).

Binani was equally hopeful as the Court of Appeal fixes today, Monday, December 18, to pronounce its judgement on the appeal that she filed as the state Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 2023 governorship election.

She is in court challenging the victory of Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election who was declared winner and has since remained the state governor.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal which had earlier heard the case and reserved judgement, will on Monday deliver the judgement.

Binani had gone to the Court of Appeal last month after the Adamawa State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal in October 2023 dismissed Binani’s petition.

Binani had gone to the tribunal asking it to void the declaration of Governor Fintiri by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as elected governor of Adamawa State.

In her petition, Binani who listed INEC, Fintiri and PDP as the first, second, and third respondents respectively, asked the tribunal to annul the election over non-compliance with the Nigerian Electoral Act.

The tribunal had however dismissed Binani’s petition and affirmed Fintiri’s victory, prompting Binani to go to the Court of Appeal.

As the state awaits what the court will decide on Monday, Fintiri said Sunday that the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja will, like the Tribunal in Yola, dismiss Binani’s decision.

“Just like the verdict at the Tribunal, we are very optimistic that the verdict of the Appeal Court will favour us,” Fintiri said through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Humwashi Wonosikou.

On her part, Binani urged her supporters to remain calm, saying, “I strongly believe the Court of Appeal will upturn the victory of PDP.”