Yohanna sworn-in by senate to replace Abbo for Adamawa North

Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, on Wednesday administered the oath of office on Amos Yohanna as the new Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.

Yohanna, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member replaced Senator Elisha Abbo,who was sacked by the Appeal Court last week Monday.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja had sacked Abbo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The three-member panel presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Amos Yohanna as the duly elected lawmaker representing the area in the National Assembly.

The appellate court had vacated the tribunal judgment which earlier upheld Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the senatorial election.

INEC had declared Abbo the winner of the February 25, 2023, parliamentary election.

But aggrieved by the electoral body’s decision, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yohanna, went to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.

In its ruling, the tribunal dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.

Not satisfied with the judgment of the tribunal, the PDP candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman (SAN), proceeded to the Appeal Court.

The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments from parties, agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered clearly showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.

The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from both parties and found that Yohanna and the PDP won the election by a majority of lawful votes.

In the wake of the judgment, Senator Abbo described it as a coup on democracy but told his supporters to be calm.