Adamawa: Supreme Court upholds Ardo’s disqualification

The Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification of Dr Umar Ardo, from contesting the governorship of Adamawa State in 2012.

The verdict delivered by Justice Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs held that  political parties had the sole monopoly to nominate the candidates they wished to sponsor provided this was done within the Electoral Act, 2010.
Ardo had gone to the Apex court following the judgment

of the Court of Appeal, Yola which on February 26, 2013 dismissed his appeal challenging the trial court’s decision.
He had challenged the discriminatory processes adopted by the PDP leading to the nomination of the candidate of the party in October, 2011.
He also contested the manner in which his supporters were denied the opportunity of participating in the nomination exercise by the refusal to sell Delegate Nomination Forms to them.
But Justice Aka’ahs held that the appeal lacks merit.
Ardo in his reaction said he was not satisfied with the judgment saying he was not treated fairly.
“I think it was the late Justice Oputa who once commented that the Supreme Court is supreme not because it is infallible; but supreme because its determination is final. The erudite jurist may well have had my case in mind for making the comment.
“Although we are all bound by this judgment of the Supreme Court, the judgment by itself is of little value both to jurisprudence and to our polity. It is a very poor and confused judgment. It goes against the spirit of the law; it contradicts previous judgments of the court,” he said.