· Adamawa REC, Yuhu declares APC’s Binani winner without results
· INEC voids declaration, suspends collation
· REC, Peturning Officer summoned to Abuja
By Oguwuike Nnadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was thrown into confusion, early Sunday as it was completing the stages of the supplementary election in some state for the governorship, National and State Assembly polls in the country
The commission was thrown into crisis, when the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) for Adamawa state, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, unilaterally announced the results of the supplement governorship election in the state, afer sneaking into the State Collation Centre, when election results were still being awaited
The REC had in the early hours of Sunday, sneaked into the state governorship collation centre to declare Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed of the All Progressives Congress winner of the governorship poll without giving details of the results.
This was even as Binani, according to the official results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, prior to her declaration, was trailing 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 Voter Cards 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 the winner.
Fintiri was in the lead from the results of 10 councils so far declared in the supplementary polls.
Official results from the 10 councils as collated at the time of filing this report showed Fintiri adding to his lead of 31,249 with wins in Demsa, Lamurde, Jada, Ganye, Song, Maiha, Hong and Shelleng councils while Binani won only in Yola North and Yola South out of 10 council areas so far released.
Meanwhile, INEC has in a tweet on its official Twitter handle asked Nigerians to disregard the action of the Adamawa REC, who it accused of usurping the powers of the Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele, and proceeded in announcing the results of the polls that had yet to be tallied and concluded.
Also condemning the REC’s action, INEC in a statement issued Sunday by its National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, declared as null and void, Yuhu’s declaration of Binani as winner of the Adamawa governorship election
“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.”
