Following the Appeal Court judgment, sacking Senator representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly, Ishaku Abbo, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, on Wednesday, sworn-in Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the new Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.
Yohanna was inaugurated at the commencement of sitting on Wednesday by Barau, who presided over the plenary.
The Informant247 reports that the Court of Appeal had, on October 16, voided the election of Senator Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abbo the winner of the February 25, 2023 parliamentary election, but Amos Yohanna, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, rejected the result and headed for the court.
Meanwhile, the tribunal, in its judgement, dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.
Further dissatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, the PDP’s candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman (SAN), approached the Appeal Court via appeal number CA/YL/EP/AD/SEN/06/2023 between Rev. Amos Kumai Yohanna and another Vs Ishaku Elisha Cliff and others.
The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments from parties, agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from the parties and found that Yohanna and PDP won the election by a majority of lawful votes.
Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme-led three-man panel, in a judgement, ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as a validly elected lawmaker for the senatorial district.
Reacting to the judgement, Mr Sam Ologunorisa (SAN) said he had nothing to say since “the Court of Appeal is the final court.”