By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has summoned the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, over the declaration of the election held Saturday, 15 April, 2023.
The commission disclosed this on Sunday, 16 April, 2023 via its Twitter handle, explain that that the process has clearly not been concluded before he made the announcement.
“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa Governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) even when the process has clearly not been concluded.
“The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended.
“The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately. Detailed statement to follow shortly.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Hudu Ari, in the early hours of Sunday, 16 April, 2023 sneaked into the State Governorship collation centre and declared Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed of the All Progressives Congress(APC) winner of the state governorship elections.
Binani according to official results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, prior to her declaration, was trailing behind Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who had established a margin of lead of 31,249 votes.
But Fintiri despite polling 421, 524 votes to defeat Binani who polled 390, 275 votes could not be returned by the state returning officer, Professor Mohammed Mele, a Professor of English and Linguistics from the University of Maiduguri, because the margin of lead did not exceed the number of cancelled votes in 69 polling units with total number Permanent Voters Card collected of 37,016.
However, at the resumption of the collation of results from the supplementary polls, which was held across the state on Saturday, to conclude the Adamawa governorship election exercise, a mild drama ensued as the Adamawa REC, who had abruptly suspended the collation exercise until 11 am on Sunday sneaked into the collation centre at 9:00 am to declare Binani winner.
It was gathered that Governor Fintiri is in the lead from the results of 10 councils so far declared in the supplementary poll
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