The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed Binani, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission before an Abuja High Court.
Defeat was in Binani’s sight in Saturday’s supplementary election, but the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who has no such power usurped the mandate of Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele and declared her winner, stirring wild confusion.
Yunusa-Ari’s declaration was immediately overturned by INEC much to the indignation of the APC candidate, who in her application wants the REC’s pronouncement to stand.
In the suit filed by her lawyers led by Hussaini Zakariyau, she argued that the electoral body has no right to overrule her declaration by Yunusa-Ari, stating that such business is perogative of election tribunal.
She is seeking, “an order of prohibition and certiorari removing to this court for the purpose of being set aside the administrative decision of the 1st Respondent made on 16th April 2023 in respect of the declaration of the winner from the gubernatorial election of Adamawa State held on the 18th of March, 2023 and the supplementary election held on 15th April 2023.”
As well as an order of the court, “preventing the 1st Respondent, its agent, assign or any person acting on its behalf from taking any further steps towards the declaration of the winner from the gubernatorial election of Adamawa State held on the 18th of March and the supplementary election held on 15th April 2023, pending the determination of the application for judicial review”.
Whereas the APC was listed as the 2nd Applicant in the suit, INEC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate/incumbent governor of the state, Ahmadu Fintiri, were cited as 1st to 3rd Respondents.
