The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday struck out a suit seeking the disqualification of Governor Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State from contesting the March 9 governorship election in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the the suit had become "an academic exercise"since the election had been held.
The plaintiff, Mahmoud Ahmed, had challenged Bindow's eligibility to contest the polls, having allegedly submitted false information regarding his education qualification to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Ahmed, who came second in the primary election of the All Progressives Congress that produced Bindow as the party's governorship candidate, contended in the suit that the governor had falsely claimed in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC that he sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in June 1983.
Bindow, APC, INEC and the West African Examination Council were joined in the suit as defendants.
Ruling on a preliminary objection filed by Bindow, who lost his re-election bid to the Peoples Democratic Party's Ahmadu Fintri, Justice Ekwo held that going ahead to hear the suit would not serve any purpose.
The judge said, "From the above circumstances, it would amount to a vain exercise for this court to exercise the jurisdiction to hear and determine this case as none of the reliefs claimed can reasonably be granted.
"I consequently decline jurisdiction to try this suit, the same having become an academic exercise by virtue of section 285(13) of the 1999 Constitution.