Tribunal Affirms Umaru Fintiri’s Re-Election As Adamawa Governor

Yola, Adamawa State– The Adamawa State Governorship Election Tribunal affirmed the re-election of Umaru Fintiri as the duly re-elected Governor of the state following the March 2023 governorship election.

The decision comes after a contentious electoral process that included a supplementary poll and moments of controversy.

The incumbent Governor Umaru Fintiri, who sought re-election, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the election.

Fintiri, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured 430,861 votes in the highly contested election, surpassing his closest rival, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 398,738 votes.

Following the announcement of the results, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru and several other contestants raised concerns and sought the nullification of Fintiri’s victory. They believed that irregularities and alleged violations had marred the electoral process.

After thorough deliberation, the Adamawa State Governorship Election Tribunal delivered its verdict on Saturday.

The tribunal upheld the victory of Umaru Fintiri, granting him a second term as the Governor of Adamawa State.

It would be recalled, that the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, stirred controversy during the supplementary election on April 15, 2023, when he declared ‘Binani’ as the winner while the results were still being collated.

However, INEC invalidated Yunusa-Ari’s decision and suspended him, and then-President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a comprehensive investigation into the electoral commissioner’s actions and the security personnel present during the declaration.

Following the investigation, INEC ultimately concluded the election and declared Fintiri as the legitimate winner of this eventful poll. Subsequently, Yunusa-Ari was arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution.