JUST-IN: Court Declines To Hear Binani’s Ex-parte Application On Adamawa Guber

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has refused to entertain the ex-parte application brought before him by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 Adamawa gubernatorial election, Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed (Binani).

The ex-parte application filed by her lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, asked the court to determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can take any further steps on the declared Adamawa governorship election results made by its now suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari.

However, when the ex-parte was about to be moved on Tuesday, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo cut in and asked Binani’s lawyer to first address him, if his court has jurisdiction to entertain such matter.

The Judge subsequently gave Binani’s counsel to file his address on the issue and fixed April 26 for hearing of the ex-parte application and the motion on whether the court has jurisdiction.

Earlier, another lawyer, Afeez Matanmi, who claimed to be counsel to the incumbent Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the election, had sought to address the court but was ignored on the ground that the issue before the court was an ex-parte application for now.

Defendants in the ex-parte application were INEC, PDP and Ahmadu Fintiri.