Aisha Dahiru, also known as “Binani,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of Adamawa, has once more filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleging that the election body invalidated her declaration of victory in the March 18 governor’s race.
The new lawsuit was brought by Binani before Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja through her attorney, Michael Aondoaka, SAN.
In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, the APC candidate in the poll, sued INEC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents, respectively.
Binani, again, sought a judicial review of the decision by INEC to reverse her earlier announcement as winner of the poll by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
Aondoaka while moving the motion on Monday, argued that it was the election petition tribunal that was vested with the power to decide the fate of his client in accordance with Section 149 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
He said the decision of INEC would deprive Binani of Section 285(6) which gives 180 days within which her petition filed before the tribunal on May 6 could be dispensed with.
The senior lawyer, who informed the court that though a similar suit was earlier filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo, said the sister-court ordered Binani to approach a tribunal her suit, having being an election-related matter.
He, therefore, sought a review of the INEC’s action.
He said an undertaking had been signed to prove to the court that the present suit was not frivolous.
He said in the undertaking, they were ready to face any cost should the court found the case to be frivolous.
After listening to Andoaka, Justice Okorowo stood down the matter for ruling.
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