In less than 24 hours after it disqualified the acting
governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, from contesting the October 11 gubernatorial
by- election in Adamawa State, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday,
cleared him to contest the election.
With this development, the Acting Governor of Adamawa State
will now join the other 13 aspirants, who were cleared on Saturday to
participate in the September 6 primary election of PDP for the emergence of the
party’s candidate for the October 11 gubernatorial election in Adamawa State.
Addressing journalists after the sitting, the panel Chairman
and Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator James Manager, Delta
North, said:
“We have looked at section 191(2) which the screening panel
relied on to disqualify the acting governor as well as the entire gamut of the
constitution of Nigerian the Electoral Act and the constitution of the PDP; we
have come to the irresistible conclusion that the provision as quoted by the
screening committee does not affect the right of the acting governor to contest
the election.
“Our decision is unanimous because all members of this appeal
panel have signed it. That is why we have issued him a provisional clearance
certificate.
“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
and not taken for any primordial reason.”
The five- member Screening Panel headed by Mantu was set up
by the National Working Committee, NWC to screen the aspirants who purchased
the expression of interest and nomination forms. Besides Senator Ibrahim Mantu,
other members of the Committee were former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin;
Amina Jambo; Mai Adamu Mustapha and Salisu Dabo who was absent.
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