The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has made clarification on the purported declaration of the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress Senator Aishatu Binani as the winner of the Adamawa Governorship election rerun.
The Resident Electoral Officer, REC, in Adamawa state, Prof Hudu Yudus Ari, who is not the Returning Office, RO, officer as legally required, controversially declared the APC Governorship Candidate as governor-elect even when the supplementary election results from 10 out of 20 Local Governments Area are still being collated.
Bar Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee confirmed this in a signed statement that reads: The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to the purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa State Governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer and therefore null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of the result of the supplementary election held yesterday 15th April 2023 is suspended forthwith.
The REC for Adamawa State and all other officials involved in the process are hereby directed to report immediately to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Also, the Commission expressed worry over the harassment of our two National Commissioners deployed to the State to ensure a peaceful and credible supplementary election. We urge the security agencies to provide them with necessary security and ensure that nothing untoward befalls them.
The two National Commissioners, the Returning Officer and other staff of the Commission must be allowed to perform their duties without let or hinderance.
The Commission stated that it will not condone any act of lawlessness or brigandage targeted at our officials or the process.
Meanwhile, The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has called the attention of Nigerians to the game plan of up-turning the democratic wishes of the people of Adamawa State in the governorship election in the state.
Atiku, through a press release signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said that the initial decision of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State to declare the APC candidate, Sen. Aisha Binani, as the winner of the election, is a case study to the shambolic nature of the 2023 elections in general.
“Here in Adamawa, we are witnesses to a novel practice in election management where a Resident Electoral Commissioner announced the loser of an election as a winner.
“It is not in doubt that INEC has approached the Adamawa State election with a preset agenda of declaring the APC at all cost.
“It is, therefore, on this note that we wish to call the attention of the world to the scheme being perpetrated by INEC to compromise the electoral wishes of the people of Adamawa State.
“We also wish to inform the world that such behaviour by INEC has a natural consequence of unsettling the peace and security of the society.
“We have seen how INEC conducted the February 25 and March 18 elections against the run of play and challenging cheated candidates to go to the court, knowing full well the agenda that they are up to.
“It must be put on record that the people of Adamawa State will not allow themselves to cheated three times in a row. It must also be put on record that whatever the consequences of the scheme being scripted, both the INEC and those vested with state powers should be blamed for the consequences of such actions.
“That the APC candidate has a prepared acceptance speech is a pointer to the guarantee of a false victory which the INEC must have promised her.
“Recall that this was the same Resident Electoral Commissioner who pressured the Returning Officer to manipulate the results of the contentious Fufore Local Government Area in the March 18 governorship election.
“The people of Adamawa shall not allow this injustice to pass without being challenged.
“We demand the immediate resumption of the collation of results and its finalisation today.
“It is also our demand that the Adamawa REC and any other parties complicit in this treasonable act should be arrested immediately and prosecuted to the full extent of the law to serve as a deterrent to anti-democratic forces who may want to torpedo our democracy and provoke violence in our country”.
Also, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the people of Adamawa State, Nigerians and the International Community to disregard the purported declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, as winner of the Adamawa State governorship election.
The call was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Debo Ologunagba,
National Publicity Secretary, in which it also demanded for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, “for making such illegal declaration in criminal usurpation of the duties and powers of the Returning Officer, Prof Mohammed Mele, while collation was on-going.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already disowned the declaration by the REC and directed him to report to the national headquarters for his actions while collation of results was yet to be concluded..
The PDP added: “It is even more absurd that the Adamawa State REC did not only usurp the powers of the Returning Officer but attempted to declare a winner without figures in reckless violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines as well as the sensibility of the people of Adamawa State.
“This reprehensible criminal conduct of the Adamawa State REC confirms the earlier alarms by the PDP which demanded for his immediate removal from Adamawa State following evidence of his complicity and being compromised by the APC and its candidate to manipulate the election in their favour notwithstanding the votes by the people of Adamawa State.
“Mallam Yunusa Ari’s action is subversive and calculated to cause crisis in Adamawa State, destabilize our democracy and peaceful co-existence as a nation. We call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately arrest Mallam Yunusa Ari and make him face the full wrath of the law for his conduct.”
At a latter briefing, the National Publicity Secretary, alleged that information available to the party has it that the REC was induced at the tune of N2billion to enable him deliver the APC candidate at all cost.
The PDP noted the pronouncement by INEC Headquarters that the action of Mallam Yunusa Ari is “null, void and of no effect.”
The party, therefore, demanded that INEC headquarters should immediately direct the Returning Officer to conclude collation, announce the results from the Polling Units and declare our candidate, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as winner, having scored the majority of lawful votes cast.
However, The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to a trending video on the social media in which someone suspected to be its staff was allegedly manhandled by some political miscreants in Adamawa State. This followed developments arising from the supplementary governorship election in the State.
The Service wishes to inform the public that it has commenced a full investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident.
While calling for calm, the Service also implores concerned parties in Adamawa State to remain peace loving and shun violence.
.APC’s Nasir wins Kebbi governorship poll
.As NLC congratulates him.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Idris, as winner of the 2023 governorship election in Kebbi State.
Idris was declared the winner by the Returning Officer for Kebbi State on Sunday in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
However, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has congratulated Kebbi State Governor- Elect Nasiru Idris over his victory, saying he will bring his leadership experience at work in the state.
The congress in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the Governor-elect, who held leadership position in NLC, has made the congress proud for emerging victorious at the poll.
NLC statement signed by its president, Joseph Ajaero, reads: “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress wish to congratulate one of our own, Comrade (Dr) Nasiru Idris on his victory as Governor-elect of Kebbi State.
“Dr Idris’ victory at the polls is testimony to hard work, commitment, humility and philanthropy.
“It is also proof of renewed confidence in the values of leadership espoused by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“Dr Nasiru Idris’ leadership skills were honed at the Nigeria Union of Teachers (where he not only virtually held all leadership positions but its immediate past President) and at the Nigeria Labour Congress where he is equally the immediate Deputy President.
“We are immensely proud of Dr Nasiru Idris’ feat and urge him to display in Kebbi State the exceptional leadership skills for which he was known at the Congress.
“We will continue to pray to God to bestow upon him kindness, good health, wisdom, courage and visionary leadership so he could lift the workers and people of Kebbi State from the point he met them.
“Once again, our congratulations to Comrade (Dr) Nasiru Idris for this epochal achievement”,.
Idris was declared the winner on Sunday by the Returning Officer for Kebbi State, Yusuf Saidu in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital
Saidu, a Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), said Idris polled a total of 409,225 votes to beat his close rival of the Peoples Democratic Party, Maj-Gen. Aminu Bande (rtd.) who garnered 360,940 votes.
The vote margin between them is 48,285.
