The 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa State, Umar Ardo, has withdrawn his appeal against Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s re-election at the Supreme Court. Ardo had sought the nullification of Fintiri’s re-election on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, corrupt practices, threats, and violence during the exercise.
Counsel for the SDP, Sylvester Imanobe, said the party had 6,000 votes during the election and the court pointed out that there was a difference between the integrity of the election and numerical strength. Towards this end, they saw the mood of the court and took the hint to withdraw the appeal. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had in November dismissed a petition filed by Ardo, challenging Fintiri’s victory in the 2023 polls.
Delivering ruling, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu affirmed a previous decision of the Tribunal led by Justice Theodora Uloho, which had dismissed Ardo’s petition for being incompetent and not properly filed. The appellate court held that the appellants did not prove the allegations of corrupt practices and non-compliance to the Electoral Act, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Justice Ogakwu said there was no basis to grant the appeal.
The SDP candidate and his party had filed a petition at the State Governorship Election Tribunal after Fintiri was declared the winner of the poll. Ardo had sought the nullification of Fintiri’s re-election on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, corrupt practices, threats, and violence during the exercise. Ardo subsequently appealed the tribunal’s judgment but the appellate court dismissed his petition.
The SDP candidate further approached the Supreme Court but later withdrew his appeal against the governor.
