INEC declares Adamawa governorship election inconclusive

The INEC Commissioner of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the election process was clearly not concluded before the announcement was made. 

Okoye described the action of the REC as a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer, adding that it is null, void and of no effect.

He consequently stressed that following the action, the collation of results of the supplementary election has now been suspended.

It could be recalled that the INEC REC in Adamawa State Yunusa Ari, had earlier stirred controversy in the state’s governorship election when he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the election.

Meanwhile; the Peoples Democratic Party has demanded the arrest of the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari.

PDP in a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, described the declaration of Aisha Binani as winner of the Adamawa State Governorship election while the collation was ongoing as illegal.

Olugunagba stressed that such move is seen as usurping the duties and powers of the Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele.

The opposition party also 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, Aisha Binani as winner of the Adamawa State Governorship election.

The PDP’s reaction followed few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission suspended the collation of the exercise in the state.

Meanwhile; the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, ATIKU Abubakar has called the attention of Nigerians to what he terms the game plan of upturning the democratic wishes of the people of Adamawa State in the governorship election in the State.