S/Court dismisses appeal against Gov Fintiri, reserves judgment on Abia election

The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) challenging the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State.

This is as the Supreme Court also reserved judgment in the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Governor Alex Otti of the Labour Party.

A five-member panel of justices presided by Justice Inyang Okoro on Wednesday dismissed the SDP appeal after it was withdrawn by the party.

The appeal was filed by the SDP governorship candidate, Dr Umar Ardo challenging Governor Fintiri’s election and the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

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The apex court is expected to hear the appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Aishatu Dahiru, seeking her declaration as the duly elected governor of the state.

In the Abia appeal brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe, counsel to the PDP, Uche Ihediwa (SAN) submitted that the party was short-changed by over 84,000 votes during the collation of the governorship election results on March 18, 2023.

However, Otti’s counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) informed the court that Otti scored over 174,000 votes at the polls, which would not have been overturned by the addition of the purported 84,000 short-changed votes.