Court annuls election of Sen Abbo, upholds Yohanna of PDP winner

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, annulled the election of Senator Elisha Abbo, representing Adamawa North Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Appeal Court three-man panel presided by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, in its judgment, upheld Rev. Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected senator in the district, and accordingly, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as the validly elected lawmaker.

Rev. Amos Yohanna, declared winner of senatorial election in Adamawa by Appeal Court

Yohana and the PDP had challenged INEC declaration of Abbo as winner of the senatorial election in the district on February 25, 2023, filing a petition at the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State.

The tribunal, in its judgment, dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.

The PDP candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman, SAN, proceeded to the Appeal Court with an appeal suit number: CA/YL/EP/AD/SEN/06/2023 between Rev. Amos Kumai Yohanna and another Vs Ishaku Elisha Cliff and others.

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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 clearly 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.

The APC lawmaker is now replaced by Amos Yohanna of the PDP.

Other members of the panel include Justice M.I SIRAJO and Justice O.A ADEGBHINDE.

NAN