The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal for Adamawa State has affirmed the election of Sen Ishaku Abbo for Adamawa North Senatorial District.
The election tribunal which gave the judgement in Yola on Thursday, dismissed it on the grounds of the inability of the petitioners to prove their case.
The petitioners, Sen Garba Binta Masi and the All Progressives Congress (APC), had based their petition on claims of over-voting, non-use of card readers, and other instances of ‘noncompliance with the Electoral Act.’
The petitioners asked that Abbo’s election be nullified and for the conduct of a supplementary election in polling units where the alleged infractions took place.
The respondents, Abbo and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, countered the petition, saying the election which produced Abbo was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
Delivering the judgement, Chairman of the election petition tribunal, Justice Suleiman Akanbi, said the petitioners failed to produce concrete evidence to back their allegations of lack of compliance with the Electoral Act.
“The witnesses did not help the case,” he said, adding that the petitioners fell short of Section 181 of the Evidence Act which requires a petitioner to provide convincing proof.
“He who alleges must provide proof,” he concluded, and dismissed the petition.
Responding to the judgement, Sen Binta Masi Garba said through her counsels that she would go for appeal; while Sen Abbo, in an interaction with newsmen, advised her to listen to the voice of the people.
Abbo said, “The voice of the people is the voice of God. People have spoken through their ballot, and today, a court of competent jurisdiction has affirmed the people’s choice. I am elated.”
Sen Binos Yaroe of the PDP had earlier been affirmed as having been duly elected for Adamawa South Zone when the tribunal dismissed a petition against him by his predecessor, Sen Ahmad Mo’Allayidi of APC.
Similarly, petitions against Hon Abdurazak Namdas of APC and Hon Kwamoti Laori of PDP were dismissed by the tribunal, consequently freeing the lawmakers to remain in their seats at the National Assembly.
