APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS ADHA SPEAKER'S ELECTION, 2 OTHERS, SETS ASIDE TRIBUNAL VERDICT ON 2 OTHERS

A saying that every beginning has an end came to play in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, as the Appeal Court upheld the election of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, 2 other members and invalidated the judgement of the Election Petition Tribunal in respect of 2 other members of the Assembly.

With this judgement, the Appeal Court has finally put to rest the legal battle involving 5 Members of the state Assembly including the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Iya Abbas and other legislators.

NEWS PLATFORM gathered that the appeals were instituted by members representing Mubi South and Mubi North, Hon. Umar Musa Bororo(APC) and Hon. Shuaibu Dan Musa(APC) who were earlier sacked by the Election Petition Tribunal Presided by Justice Suleiman Akanbi.

Hon. Bororo and Hon. Dan Musa were earlier dragged to the Tribunal by Hon. Yakubu Musa Dirbishi(PDP) and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya Sudi(PDP),who asked the court to nullify their elections over allegations of certificate forgery which the court did.

The duo who were not satisfied with the judgements, approached the Court of Appeal and prayed it to review the judgement and possibly set them aside.

While the appeals involving the presiding officer of the House, Rt. Hon. Iya Abbas(Uba Gaya), Hon. Myandassa Bauna( Lamurde), and Hon. Ibrahim Musa Italiya(Mayo Belwa) were brought to the court by ex-Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Mohammed Atiku Hayatu(APC), Hon. Vrati Nzonzo(APC), and Hon. Peter Da'ape(PDP).

The appellants who earlier lost at the Tribunal to the incumbent members, decided to appeal their cases where they urged the court to invalidate the judgements of the lower court on grounds that it did reflect the merits of their cases.

All the legislators that were party to the cases were dragged to Tribunal and later Appeal Court shortly after winning their state constituency seats during the 2019 general elections.

But in a judgement delivered by Honourable Justice Chidi Nwaoma Uwa, assisted by Justice James Shehu Abiriyi and Justice Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, upheld the election of the speaker, Rt. Hon. Iya Abbas(PDP Uba Gaya), Hon. Myandassa Bauna(PDP Lamurde) and Hon. Ibrahim Musa Italiya(ADC Mayo Belwa).

Equall, the Court set aside the judgements of the tribunal as they affected Hon Musa Umar Bororo of Mubi South and Hon Shuaibu Dan Musa of Mubi North and declared that they were validly elected.