S’Court Dismisses SDP’s Appeal Against Fintiri

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the appeal by Umar Ado, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against the election of Umaru Fintiri as the Governor of Adamawa State.

A five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal shortly after being withdrawn by the appellants.

When the matter was called, a member of the panel, Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, drew the attention of the counsel to the appellants, Sylvester Imanogbe, to the fact that the appeal was incompetent and a waste of the court’s precious time, on the grounds that the petitioners did not only score a very insignificant votes of about 6,000 but did not show how the alleged noncompliance to the electoral laws and guidelines affected them or the outcome of the March 18 and April 16 rerun governorship election in Adamawa State.

Taking the hint of the court that the appeal was incompetent and also not wanting to waste the court’s time by arguing the case, Imanogbe made an oral application for the appeal.

Respondents in the appeal however did not object to the withdrawal and presiding Justice, John Okoro, subsequently dismissed the appeal.

Meanwhile, the apex court is yet to hear the appeal of Senator Aishatu Dahiru Benani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Fintiri’s election.