The Adamawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aisha Dahiru-Ahmed, also known as Binani has withdrawn her suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Recall that Binani and APC, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/510/2023, had sued INEC, PDP and its candidate, Gov. Fintiri as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.
The lawsuit was therefore dismissed by Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The APC candidate had asked the court to launch a judicial review of INEC’s decision to reverse its decision to retract Hudu Yunusa-Ari’s previous declaration of her as the election’s winner.
When the case was being heard again on Wednesday, Mohammed Sheriff, counsel for Binani, informed Justice Ekwo that a notice of discontinuance had been filed to that effect and urged the court to dismiss the case.
The attorney pleaded for the lawsuit to be dismissed after informing the court that numerous concerns had arisen between the last postponement date and the current one.
However, Justice Ekwo reminded Sheriff that he was required to address the court regarding whether or not the court had jurisdiction to hear the case by order issued on the last adjourned date.
“I hereby make an order dismissing this suit,” Justice Ekwo declared.
However, Ekwo ordered the APC candidate’s counsel to address the court on the issue of jurisdiction before hearing the substantive motion.
The judge said though he was ready to hear Sheriff, the lawyer must address the court on the issue of jurisdiction before he proceeded.
He held that the application would be taken together with the issue of jurisdiction on the next adjourned date and adjourned until April 26 for a hearing.
