TENSION MOUNTS AS A/COURT DECIDES FATE OF 3 ADHA LAWMAKERS

Tension mounts in some constituencies of the Adamawa State House of Assembly as the electorate await the judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal involving 3 lawmakers.

The affected legislators include: Hon. Japhet Kefas, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi and Hon. Calvin Kefas, representing Gombi, Girei and Toungo constituencies respectively.

The appellate court will decide on the fate of the 3 PDP legislators in appeals filed by Hon. Japhet Kefas himself and 2 other appeals filed against Rt. Hon. Abubakar and Hon. Calvin Kefas respectively.

The date of the judgement, according to the appellate court, will be communicated to the parties involved in the appeals any moment from now. This followed hearing in the appeals.

Other appeals challenging the seats of the 2 other legislators were filed by the immediate past members of Girei and Toungo constituencies, Hon. Muhammed Mutawali and Hon. Umar Abdullahi Nyako.

The embattled lawmakers resolved to challenge the decision of the tribunal which threw out their petitions.

On his part, Hon. Japhet Kefas approached the court on ground that the judgement of the National/ State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal was against the will of the majority of voters in his constituency.

The 3-member panel of the lower court had on Wednesday 25th October, 2023, nullified the election of the appellant and declared the petitioner, Hon. Rufai Umar of APC as winner of the constituency election.

It further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue certificate of return to the respondent in this appeal sequel to the invalidation of the election at the 14 polling units.

In his appeal, the lawmaker asked the court  to upturn the decision of the lower court and restore his election nullified at the affected polling units.

According to him, the tribunal erred in its judgement which invalidated his election, praying the court to set aside the decision of the tribunal in the interest of justice.

Likewise, the former member who represented Girei constituency, Hon. Muhammed Mutawali is challenging the judgement of the tribunal which dismissed his petition.

Hon. Mutawali is contesting the declaration of the incumbent member of the constituency and former Speaker of the assembly, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi who was declared and returned elected by INEC.

In the same vein, Hon. Nyako who had his petition thrashed at the tribunal for being incompetent and lacking in merit, asked the appellate court to nullify the tribunal judgement which upheld the election of Hon. Calvin Kefas.