Adamawa: Appeal Panel Upturns Fintiri's Disqualification

… Approves Acting Governor For PDP Primary
SAN FRANCISCO, August 31, (THEWILL) -The Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Umar Fintiri will be one of the governorship aspirants at the Peoples Democratic Party's governorship primary for Adamawa State slated for September 06, 2014, following the ruling of a Governorship appeal panel of the party which upturned his earlier disqualification by a screening committee chaired by Senator Ibrahim Mantu.

Announcing Fintiri's eligibility for the primary election, the chairman of the panel, Senator James Manager, told reporters Sunday at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja that Mantu's panel erred in its decision to disqualify the acting governor from the party's primary.

Mantu's panel had disqualified Fintiri on 'moral grounds' because of the lead role he played in the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako and the subsequent resignation of his deputy, which paved way for his emergence as Acting Governor.

'Fintiri is not qualified to contest in the primaries because he was not a deputy governor that emerged as acting governor…. He is like a referee who cannot play in a football match,' Mantu said.

However Manager said his panel took a critical look at the 1999 constitution, the electoral act and the PDP constitution and found nothing that could have barred the acting governor from contesting for the office of governor. He said the provisions Mantu's panel quoted did not in anyway stop the acting governor from contesting for the seat.

He disclosed that the decision of the panel was unanimous adding that Fintiri has been issued a provisional clearance certificate to participate in the primary election.

'This decision is based on the facts on ground and not informed by any primordial sentiments…. The outcome of our exercise is a unanimous decision by all members of the committee, Manager, a Senator Representing Delta South Senatorial District affirmed.

With his clearance for the primary, Fintiri will join 13 other aspirants at the PDP Adamawa governorship primary.