The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conclude the collation of the Adamawa supplementary governorship election in Abuja, a top official of the commission told Daily Trust.
INEC on Sunday suspended the collation of the election following outrage that trailed the declaration by Prof. Yunusa Hudu Ari, the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) for Adamawa State.
The REC had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly called Binani, as winner of the election.
National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, who announced the suspension of the collation in a statement said the commission had summoned the REC and all involved to its headquarters in Abuja.
“The attention of the commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa governorship election by the 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 statement reads.
Following the development, Daily Trust gathered that the commission held an emergency management meeting on Sunday on the matter.
Although details of the meeting were still sketchy by press time, a top official of INEC told Daily Trust that while the results collation may be concluded at their headquarters in Abuja, the final declaration would definitely be done in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
According to the source, who wouldn’t want to be named because he is not officially allowed to speak on the matter, the summoned officials would be expected to come to Abuja with the original results sheets and other relevant documents.
Another national commissioner of INEC who also spoke in confidence said the commission was appalled by what he called ‘the unilateral recklessness’ of the Adamawa REC.
“We are yet to come to terms with the motivation behind his action. In the first place, he (REC) has no power to announce results. Such powers are vested in the INEC chairman who can assign whoever he deems fit.
“We are going to hold an emergency meeting Mondayduring which a decision will be taken on the governorship election,” he said.
The national commissioner also frowned at the treatment meted out to their colleague in Yola, saying: “It was despicable that a national commissioner will be stripped naked. Where are the security operatives; there are a lot of questions begging for answers.”
Sequel to the declaration of Binani as winner by the Adamawa REC, a national commissioner of INEC, Professor Abdullahi Zuru, was stripped by unknown persons in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
In a video that went viral, the national commissioner, apparently mistaken for the REC, was seen being interrogated by some men.
Also speaking on the matter in an interview with newsmen, Festus Okoye said the REC has no right whatsoever to make a declaration and a return especially as there were results of supplementary results that were ongoing.
Okoye, who also frowned at the assault on a national commissioner, said: “A national commissioner cannot be treated as if he or she is a common criminal. A former vice chancellor of Usmanu Dan Fodio University, a senior citizen was stripped naked and dragged. This commission would not allow that to stand.”
Binani of the APC and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP are the two main contestants in the supplementary election.
In the result declared earlier on March 18, Fintiri polled 421,524 votes, while his main rival, Binani scored 390,275.
Fintiri was leading Binani with a margin of over 30,000 votes and was winning in 13 of Adamawa’s 21 local government areas while Binani won in the remaining eight.
But the state’s returning officer, Prof. Mohammed Mele, announced the cancellation in 69 polling units (PUs) in Fufore LGA, which affected no fewer than 37,016 potential voters.
The supplementary election was held in 20 local governments in the state and collation was done in 10 LGAs by the state returning officer before the REC made the declaration.
Daily Trust reports that tension heightened after officials of INEC and security agents, earlier barred journalists from accessing the collation centre.
Reporters who were already accredited during the presidential and governorship elections were turned back by policemen who said they were given orders from above not to allow any journalist access to the collation centre.
