Election tribunal dismisses petition against Adamawa Deputy Speaker

A petition filed against the Deputy Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Muhammed Buba Jijiwa, has been dismissed.

The National/House of Assembly Petitions Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State on Monday, dismissed the petition instituted against Rt. Hon. Jijiwa, who represents Jada/Mbulo constituency.

Rt. Hon. Jijiwa, who was elected under the platform of the PDP, was dragged before the tribunal by the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Bashir Usman.

Hon. Bashir Usman, was contesting the election of Rt. Hon. Jijiwa, held on the 18th March, 2023, alleging that the exercise was not free and fair.

He alleged that the declaration and return of Rt. Hon. Jijiwa, as elected member to represent Jada/Mbulo constituency is invalid by reasons of non compliance with the electoral act.

On his part, Rt. Hon. Jijiwa, told the tribunal that the petition is not supported by any valid ground, arguing that the petition is incompetent, and that it should be dismissed in its entirety.

He pleaded with the tribunal to dismiss the petition for failure of the petitioner to prove his petition beyond reasonable doubt, insisting that the petition is dead on arrival.

According to him, the petition is incurably defective to link it with cogent and credible evidence and ought to dismissed in its entirety.

Delivering his judgement on the petition, Hon. Justice Maryam Ahmed Sabo, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit and awarded the sum of N50,000 in favour of Rt. Hon. Jijiwa against Hon. Bashir.

Reacting on the judgement, the Deputy Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Muhammed Buba Jijiwa, described the judgement as victory to democracy.

He commended the tribunal for affirming his election and called on his entire constituents to rally round him and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri led administration to provide more dividends of democracy to the electorate.

The PDP Lawmaker, appealed to Hon. Bashir Usman, to support and cooperate with him for the development of Jada/Mbulo constituency and Adamawa state in general.

Rt. Hon. Muhammed Buba Jijiwa, explained that election is over and what is left at the moment is the development of his constituency, and promised to provide quality leadership.