No Supplementary Election In Adamawa State On Saturday, Court Rules

Adamawa Governorship Election Postponed Indefinitely

There has been an indefinite postponement of the supplementary election in Adamawa state earlier scheduled for Saturday 23rd March.

This is occasioned by the ruling of a suit filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by Mustafa Shaba, governorship candidate of the Movement For Restoration and Defense for Democracy (MRDD).

Shaba had based his case against the commission over the omission of his party’s logo on the electoral materials used in the March 9 election.

Citing section 87 sub-section 10 of the electoral act, Kassiam Gaidam, resident electoral commissioner (REC) of Adamawa state, had earlier said the court order was not binding on it: “Going by the electoral act, even court orders cannot stop any election at this point. Although we are not aware of any court restraining INEC, however let me tell you that court order will not stop any election.”

But Gaidam made a U-turn on Wednesday, saying the commission had been served with the court order and that the court would determine the fate of the supplementary governorship election.

“I want to confirm to you that today, indeed a court order was served on the commission’s headquarters, and the commission in its usual very good tradition of compliance with court orders has sent appropriate notices, filed counter motions and counter originating sermon,” he said.

“We would be waiting to hear the outcome or the decision the court will take tomorrow.”

On Thursday, Abdulazeez Waziri, a member of the panel presiding over the case, adjourned the matter till Tuesday.

Naija News reports that the Peoples Democratic Party PDP was leading in the March 9 election before it was declared inconclusive by the country’s electoral umpire.