Senate swears in PDP’s Yohanna as Adamawa senator

The Senate has sworn in Amos Yohanna as the new senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.

Yohanna’s swearing-in followed his declaration as the winner of the February 25 senatorial election by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.

His swearing-in was performed by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary in Abuja on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.

Yohanna, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had challenged his election before the election tribunal, which dismissed his application as lacking in merit.

He had sued Elisha Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the senatorial election.

In the petition marked EPT/AD/SEN/02/2023, Yohanna argued that Abbo’s election should be invalidated by reasons of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

He stated that Abbo was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast, adding that there was over-voting at various polling units, false entries, alteration, and cancellation of votes.

He said some of the alterations and cancellations were not signed by the presiding officers of the polling units.

Yohanna prayed the tribunal to nullify Abbo’s election and declare him as the duly elected senator for Adamawa North.

Not satisfied with the tribunal’s verdict, he approached the Appeal Court, asking it to nullify INEC’s declaration of Abbo as the winner of the election.

The Court of Appeal, however, voided the tribunal’s verdict and upheld Yohanna’s prayers.

The Star