Supreme Court Dismisses SDP’s Petition Against Adamawa State Governor

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal brought before it by the Social Democratic Party, SDP and its governorship candidate, Dr Umar Ardo challenging the declaration of Ahmadu Fintiri as Adamawa State governor.

The appeal marked SC/CV/1219/2023 was thrown out by the apex court for want of merit.

SDP and its candidate had scored 6,000 votes and challenged the declaration of Fintiri and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who polled over 430,000 votes at the March 18, 2023 election.

The grouse of the SDP and Ardo was that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

However, at Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the appellants, Sylvester Imhanobe, was taken up to substantiate how the election was conducted without following the Electoral Act.

Upon discovering the hint of the apex court, the appellants withdrew their appeal, having been found unmeritorious.

Justice John Inyang Okoro, who led a 5-man panel of Justices of the Court, dismissed the appeal without any cost against the appellants.

The apex court subsequently affirmed the election of Fintiri as being validly elected and lawfully declared as the Governor of Adamawa State.

Confidence Okwuchi