INEC said Binani was supposed to be declared the winner of the election by the returning officer instead of the state’s REC
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has waded into the drama unfolding in the Adamawa State supplementary governorship election.
INEC in a statement posted on its official Twitter handle by Barr. Festus Okoye, its National Commissioner, Information & Voter Education, said the decision of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ari Hudu, to declare the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as winner of the election when the process had not been concluded, was an usurpation of powers of the Returning Officer.
The electoral body also said Hudu’s action was null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
The statement reads: “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.”
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TheNiche had earlier reported that INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa, Hudu Ari, on Sunday morning, controversially declared Binani as the winner of the election.
The commission in the social media statement rejected the declaration and suspended further collation of results.
“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.” INEC further said.
INEC also invited the state REC, Hudu Ari and the returning officer of the state, Mele Lamido, to its headquarters in Abuja.
“The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately. Detailed statement to follow shortly,” Okoye added.
Binani of the APC and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP are the two main contestants in the election with the PDP candidate leading before Saturday’s rerun election in 69 polling units.
