Court Dismisses Binani’s Suit Challenging Nullification Of Her ‘Victory’ At Governorship Election

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the application filed by the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the Adamawa governorship election, Senator Aisha Binani Dahiru, which claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot nullify the results declared by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa.

THE WHISTLER reported that Binani had on April 16 accepted the result declared in her favor by Hudu even though he announced her winner without reading out the actual scores for each candidate as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2022.

Yunusa had walked into the collation center after the supplementary election was suspended on Saturday and announced Binani winner drawing widespread criticism.

But INEC headquarters said Hudu’s declaration was null and void while writing the Nigeria police to prosecute him for electoral malpractice.

Binani sued the INEC, People’s Democratic party and the Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja seeking a judicial review of the results.

But Justice Inyang Ekwo had directed her lawyers to address him on jurisdiction by today, April 26.

Amid the case, INEC proceeded with the result collation and declared the incumbent Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri winner of the election with 430,869 votes, defeating the Binani, who polled 398,788

On Wednesday, Binani’s lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, told Justice Ekwo that he wants to discontinue the case citing issues arising within her political party.

Her lawyer applied that the case be struck out but the judge held that since he failed to address the court on jurisdiction in line with his orders, the suit will be dismissed.

Having applied for discontinuance, the judge dismissed the suit.