TRIBUNAL DISMISSES 2 PETITIONS AGAINST FORMER SPEAKER, ONE OTHER

The Election Petition Tribunal holden at Yola, the Adamawa capital has dismissed 2 petitions filed against the former Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly Hon. Kabiru Mijinyawa, and the incumbent member representing Girei Constituency in the House, Hon. Muhammed Mutawali respectively.

The petitions were separately filed before the court by the candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Yola South and Girei Constituencies in the house, Adamu Baba Mustapha and Abubakar Abdullahi Wambai, challenging the elections of the incumbent members.

Both Mijinyawa and Mutawali, were returned as members representing their constituencies on 9th March, 2019. But the petitioners dragged them to court alleging that the elections that brought the duo to power were marred by irregularities.

Delivering his judgement on the petitions, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice S. A. Akanbi, dismissed both the petitions for lack of merits, declaring that the petitioners failed to prove their cases beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Akanbi, who was assisted by other 2 justices, said that Adamu Mustapha and Abdullahi Wambai, alleged that the elections that saw to the victory of the members, were charactersed by irregularities and urged the court to nullify the elctions.

According to him, some of the grounds of the petitioners were over voting, corrupt practices,thumb printing, lack of accreditation, lack of qualification in the case of the member representing Girei, falsification of result sheet, infractions and violation of electoral act.

He declared that in matters of election petitions, the prayers or grounds are the backbone or merits of the petition and must be proved beyond reasonable doubt, explaining that the petitioners failed to adduce evidence to prove their cases; thereby,striking out the petitions for lack of merits.

In his reaction on the judgement, Lead Counsel to both respondents, Barr. Tosin Alawole, stated that the tribunal gave judgement in the favour of all his respondents.

According to him, the tribunal held that the election conducted on 9th March, 2019, that brought in both APC candidates were conducted in substantial compliance with the electoral act.
He explained that the evidence brought by the petitioners before the court, could not substantiate the allegations and the tribunal therefore dismissed the suit.

Barr. Tosin, added the petitioners are free to appeal the judgement within the stipulated time, and if they feel they can exercise their right, they are free to do so.

Also, in his reaction, Counsel to the petitioners, Barr. Sunday Wugira, said that the Tribunal had passed its final judgement and that he will sit down with his clients and look at the judgement, but for now he cannot tell whether they will appeal or not.