The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has delivered a ruling that has significant political implications for Adamawa North Senatorial District in Nigeria.
The court has sacked the incumbent Senator representing the district, Elisha Ishaku Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Rev. Amos Kumai Yohanna, as the duly elected Senator in the National Assembly poll held on February 25.
In its ruling, the Appeal Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to retrieve the Certificate of Return previously awarded to Senator Abbo and present it to Rev. Yohanna, thus making him the official Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.
The controversy surrounding this Senate seat began with the 2023 National Assembly election when INEC initially declared Senator Abbo as the winner with 71,927 votes, defeating Rev. Yohanna, who received 61,895 votes. Dissatisfied with the election outcome, Rev. Yohanna and the PDP filed a petition with the election tribunal, challenging the validity of Senator Abbo’s election.
The petition accused Senator Abbo of not being duly elected, citing corrupt practices, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and irregularities such as over-voting, false entries, alteration and cancellation of votes at various polling units. The tribunal initially dismissed the petition and even awarded damages against Rev. Yohanna, ordering him to pay N600,000 to Senator Abbo.
However, Rev. Yohanna persisted and took the case to the final Court for National Assembly Petitions. The Appeal Court’s ruling now upends the previous decisions and declares him the winner of the election.
This ruling has political implications for the state, as Governor Ahmadu Fintiri is believed to have supported the PDP candidate, Rev. Yohanna, against Senator Abbo, who switched from the PDP to the APC after a falling out with the governor. The fallout between the two politicians was reportedly influenced by an intra-party power struggle following their joint electoral victory in 2019.
The decision serves as a reminder of the importance of due process and the judiciary’s role in resolving election disputes and ensuring the credibility of the electoral process in Nigeria.
