Bala Ngilari, the deputy governor under impeached Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, has been sworn in as the new governor of the state.
The acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, swore Mr. Ngilari in Wednesday, hours after a federal court in Abuja sacked the acting governor of the state, Umar Fintiri.
Mr. Fintiri, a former speaker of the state House of Assembly, took over after the impeachment of Mr. Nyako and the controversial “resignation” of the deputy, Mr. Ngilari.
Mr. Ngilari had complained that his “resignation” letter, constitutionally required to have gone to the ousted governor, was instead received and acted upon by the then speaker, Mr. Fintiri.
An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday granted Mr. Ngilari’s request that Mr. Fintiri be removed and he be sworn in immediately as governor.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola held that Mr. Ngilari did not resign from office as deputy governor in line with Section 306 (1) (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The judge also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stop the state governorship bye-election slated for Saturday, October 11, and granted all the reliefs sought by Mr. Ngilari.
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