Stephen Adewale
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed March 28 for the Adamawa supplementary governorship election.
A High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, on Tuesday gave INEC the green light to conduct the supplementary election in the state by vacating the order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting supplementary governorship election in the state.
While vacating his own order, the sitting judge, Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, said: “Election is a constitutional matter; this court would not be used to breach the process.”
The judge however assumed jurisdiction to entertain the matter and adjourned to Wednesday March 27 2019 for hearing on the originating summon.
Ahmed Umar Fintiri, who is the leading contender in the governorship race and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have applied and have been joined as second and third defendants to the suit.
Reacting to the ruling, counsel to the second and third defendants, Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), said: “Half bread is better than none; the judge has vacated the ex parte order but assumed jurisdiction in the substantive matter.
“I was at the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday when the ruling about Bauchi governorship election was delivered and I’ve applied for a copy of the judgment to help guide his lordship on this matter.”
With this development, the coast has been cleared for the supplementary governorship election to hold.
Prof. Andrew Haruna, Returning Officer for the governorship election, had declared the election inconclusive following the cancellation of 4,988 votes in 44 polling units spread across 14 local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State has rejected the March 28 date fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the supplementary governorship election in the state.
The Organising Secretary of the party, Ahmed Lawal, announced the party’s decision in Yola, the state capital on Tuesday.
Mr Lawal said INEC did not consult the party before fixing the new date for the poll.
He alleged that information had filtered out earlier that the election would be held on Thursday, March 28.
“INEC failed to consult with political parties involved in this election before going ahead to fix a new date for the re-run.
“We, therefore, became suspicious due to rumours in town earlier that supplementary election would be conducted on Thursday and it turned out to be true.
“We are not afraid of re-run election but INEC should have done the right thing.
“How can you fix an election on a working day? Are civil servants not going to participate in the election?
“We are going to forward our protest on the matter to INEC,’’ he said.
