IN a petition brought by Senator Aishatu Binani, who won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Adamawa State, the Court of Appeal has reserved judgment.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka of the Federal High Court, Yola, annulled Binani’s victory in October due to excessive voting and violations of the Electoral Act, after receiving a complaint from Binani’s closest rival, Nuhu Ribadu, who came second in the election.
The federal high court had ordered Binani to stop posing as the party’s candidate for governor, while deciding that the APC would not have a candidate in the 2023 election.
The appeal court panel made up of Justices Teni Yusuf Hassan, M.O. Bolaji, and James Abundaga reserved judgment in the appeal, after accepting the submissions from the counsel for Binani, Ribadu, the APC, and INEC.
Lead counsel to Binani, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), who led six other SANs and 12 lawyers asked the appeal court to quash the decision of the trial court and determine all pre-election matters to declare his client as the duly elected candidate for the APC.
The Counsel who represented Ribadu, l.K. Bawa (SAN), alongside S.T. Ologunorisa (SAN), urged the court to order a new election, arguing that the lower court erred in law by refusing to allow for one especially after finding evidence of overvoting which is a violation of the law.
