The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Umar Fintiri

  • Adamawa aspirants want PDP to respect pact

    Eight Peoples Democratic Party aspirants that obtained nomination forms for the botched October 11 governorship election in Adamawa State stormed the Abuja secretariat of the party on Wednesday, asking the leadership to respect a subsisting agreement.

    They had stepped down for the former Acting Governor of the state, Umar Fintiri, before a Federal High Court in Abuja halted the by-election and installed the former Deputy Governor, Bala Ngilari, as governor.

    Upon stepping down for Fintiri, in the botched by-election, the PDP had assured the aspirants that their nomination forms would still be valid for the governorship election proper.

    The aspirants, who met with the party’s National Secretary are – Auwal Tukur, Umar Fintiri, Idi Hong, James Barka, Abubakar Girei, Marcus Gundiri, Ahmed Gulak and Aliyu Karma.

    Speaking on behalf of the aspirants, Ahmed Gulak said: “We are all aspirants from Adamawa State that were supposed to take part in the by-election that could not hold.

    “The party, alongside the government at that time, entered into an agreement that our forms will be validated for the 2015 election and the governorship slot will be zoned to Adamawa central.

    “We have met the party and the National Secretary assured us that the agreement is valid and they assured us that the agreement will stand.

    “We are not aware that the governor has picked form but the fact is that there is a subsisting agreement among all parties, including the party that the slot for governorship in Adamawa 2015 will be for the central.

    “On that agreement, the validation of the forms for those from the central and the zoning on that agreement will stand.”

  • Fintiri returns as Adamawa Speaker

    Fintiri returns as Adamawa Speaker

    The sacked acting governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has returned to the State House of Assembly as the Speaker.

    Fintiri was the Speaker of the Assembly that masterminded the impeachment of former governor Murtala Nyako in July.

    Meanwhile, Fintiri has thanked the people of the state for the ” tremendous support” they gave him during his two months and three weeks’ tenure as acting governor.

    In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Solomon Kumangar, in Yola, on Thursday, Fintiri said he had reverted to his position as the Speaker while still pursuing his appeal against his removal as acting governor.

    He expressed appreciation to “the youth, women, elders, stakeholders, the political and working class” for their support.

    Part of the statement reads,  “Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who has since resumed office as the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, also expresses gratitude to all state legislators, members of the National Assembly, the Peoples Democratic Party, the opposition and the overwhelming majority of the people, who not only shared his vision and zeal of rescuing and emancipating Adamawa State from the shackles of bad governance but rallied together with him to banish tyranny, tribalism and primordial sentiment from adamawa State.

    “He pledges his life to the struggle to lift Adamawa State out of the morass in which it has found itself and that the whole issue is not about Fintiri but about Adamawa State.

    “He said anyone who takes the democratic revolution that has taken place as personal is being selfish and does not love Adamawa State.”

  • Adamawa: Fintiri goes to Court of Appeal

    Adamawa: Fintiri goes to Court of Appeal

    … Asks court to sack Ngilari

    Sacked Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has faulted Wednesday’s judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which removed him from office.

    He argued that the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, erred in law when he held that the former deputy governor (now Governor), James Bala Ngilari did not resign in accordance with constitutional provision.

    Fintiri’s contention is contained in a notice of appeal filed by his lawyer, Duro Adeyele (SAN), and in which he raised eight grounds of appeal.

    He wants the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgment by Justice Ademola, dismiss the suit by Ngilari on the ground that it was defective or in the and refer the case for hearing before another Federal High Court by way of writ of summons.

    Listed as respondents in the appeal are – Ngilari, Speaker of the Admawa State House of Assembly, House of Assembly, impeached governor Murtala Nyako and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

     

  • INEC awaits court order on Adamawa

    INEC awaits court order on Adamawa

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, said the commission would in the course of the day announce its position on the conduct of Saturday’s Adamawa Governorship by-election.

    Jega said this on Wednesday in Yola while addressing political stakeholders in the by-election slated for Saturday.

    “As we prepare for this meeting just 30 minutes ago, I received the information from Abuja that a Federal High Court has, among others, granted an injunction restraining INEC from conducting the Adamawa by-election.

    “This information came to me from our Director Legal Services.

    “INEC is a law abiding organization, I am yet to see the court order but I still believed that the right thing to do under the circumstances is not to proceed with this meeting until we get a sufficient clarification.

    “Once we get a proper process served on us in the course of the day, we will make an appropriate announcement as what the position of INEC is on this particular matter,” Jega said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday ordered that the former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Bala Ngilari, should be sworn in immediately as the governor.

    The court said in its judgment that the Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, was occupying the office illegally as the former Deputy Governor Ngilari, had not resigned from office.

    Meanwhile, Fintiri said he had directed his lawyers to appeal against the judgment.

    “Our lawyers are preparing their papers and will file an appeal in the next 20 minutes.

    “We are awaiting the result of the appeal and we still belief the election will take place,” Fintiri said.

  • Court suspends judgment in suit seeking to reinstate Nyako

    Court suspends judgment in suit seeking to reinstate Nyako

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos has suspended judgment in a suit seeking to reinstate “impeached” Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako.

    Verdict was fixed for Tuesday, but the judge said he would not deliver it yet in the interest of justice.

    The suit, numbered FHC/L/CS/1180/14, was filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje.

    He is seeking an order compelling the acting governor, Umaru Fintiri, to vacate office with immediate effect.

    The lawyer is also praying the court to order Nyako’s reinstatement

    According to him, the process which led to Nyako’s impeachment was unconstitutional as the ousted governor was not personally served with the impeachment notice by the state’s House of Assembly.

    Fintiri, the Adamawa State House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, Chairman of the Impeachment Panel, Buba Kajama, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector General of Police are the respondents.

    Nyako was impeached on July 15 after the state’s House of Assembly adopted the report of a seven-man investigation panel which indicted him on 16- count charge of gross misconduct.

    Fintiri, who was then Speaker of the House of Assembly, had since been sworn in as the acting governor in Nyako’s place.

    Ogungbeje claimed the Assembly’s alleged failure to serve Nyako personally with the impeachment notice violated his fundamental right to fair hearing as enshrined under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

    After the court heard arguments from parties and judgment date fixed, Fintiri, through his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) urged the judge not to deliver the verdict.

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president prayed the court to set aside all the proceedings conducted in the suit so far because his clients were not served with the suit in accordance with the law.

    According to him, the court should strike out the entire action since the due process of law was not followed.

    Olanipekun, who is also representing Mammadi and the House of Assembly, argued that the originating processes were not properly served on his clients.