The Court of Appea sitting in Abuja has overturned the election of Senator Elisha Abbo, representing Adamawa North. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring him the duly elected senator for the constituency.

The appellate court overturned the earlier tribunal judgment that had affirmed Senator Abbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the hotly contested senatorial election held on February 25, 2023. INEC had initially declared Abbo as the victor, but the PDP and candidate Yohanna challenged the results at the tribunal.

Although the tribunal dismissed Yohanna’s petition, his legal team, led by Johnson Usman (SAN), appealed the decision. Upon review, the appellate court agreed that there were significant irregularities in the election results submitted by INEC. Citing Section 137 of the 2022 Electoral Act, the court ruled that the tendered results showed clear non-compliance with electoral regulations.

After deducting invalid votes from both parties, the Court of Appeal determined that Yohanna and the PDP won the election by a majority of lawful votes. While Abbo has described the judgment as a “coup on democracy,” he has urged supporters to remain calm in the wake of this legal setback.