Adamawa Guber Poll: PDP Appeal Committee Clears Ag Gov Umar Fintiri
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Barely 24 hours after he was disqualified from contesting the October 11 governorship bye-election, appeal committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cleared the Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri.
Addressing reporters in Abuja on Sunday, the chairman of the 13-man appeal committee, James Manager, faulted the reason given by the election screening committee in disqualifying the Acting Governor.
Prompt News recalls that the screening committee chaired by a former member of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, had cited Section 191, Sub-section 2 of Nigeria’s constitution to push Mr. Fintiri out of the race.
However, the appeal committee posited that the section of the constitution cited could not be used to disqualify the Acting Governor.
Mr. Manager said, “We looked at the whole issue, the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP Constitution and have come to the conclusion that the provisions of the constitutions does not affect the applicant.“Section 191 (2), does not affect the applicant to participate in the election. This decision was unanimously taken by us. We are issuing a provisional clearance to the applicant.
“Almost all of us are meeting the acting governor for the first time and the decision to clear him was taken based on what was before us”.
The Acting Governor had earlier in the day told his supporters in Yola, that he was still in contention, assuring them that he would be cleared to contest.
