Drama, Suspense, Uproar Over REC’s Declaration of Binani
This cannot stand, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared yesterday after its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari in Adamawa State, announced Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani as governor-elect.
The commission said the REC broke the rules with the announcement which ought to be the role of the Returning officer.
It summoned the REC and the Returning Officer, Prof. Mele Mohammed, to Abuja and halted further collation of results of the supplementary election in the state.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Festus Okoye, who announced these steps, added that the commission’s management would meet tomorrow to review the Adamawa situation and take a final decision.
Okoye said: “The situation on the ground is that we have suspended the further collation of results for the Adamawa governorship election, pending when the commission meets to take a position.
“Secondly, we have also summoned the Collation and returning officer, Prof. Mele. He is already in Abuja.
“We have also summoned the REC for Adamawa, who illegally went and made a declaration and a return, to Abuja. He knows that part of his function has nothing to do with making declarations and returns. The REC represents the commission in the state and exercises the power delegated to him by the commission and is also answerable to the Commission.
“Being the Collation officer and being a Returning officer was not part of the functions he was supposed to perform. So, he has to come and explain to the Commission.”
There was uproar at the collation centre in Yola, the state capital, following the hijack of the functions of the Returning Officer, Prof. Mohammed, by the REC, who declared Binani the winner of the inconclusive election.
“The APC scored the highest votes. Going by that, Aishatu Binani is hereby declared elected governor of Adamawa State,” said Yunusa-Ari, who never provided the results of the poll.
There was a mild drama as Binani gave an acceptance speech after being illegally declared.
She said her election as the first female governor in the country would encourage other women to participate actively in politics.
Binani stressed: “You’ve made history in electing the first female governor in our dear country, Nigeria. This will no doubt broaden political participation by encouraging our daughters, sisters, aunties, mothers and indeed, the girl child.”
However, following protests by party agents, observers and other stakeholders, INEC suspended further collation of the results.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar chided the electoral agency, saying that its action was premeditated.
Urging residents to be calm, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who objected to the illegal announcement, assured that his mandate cannot be stolen.
Atiku said the illegal declaration was premeditated.
The PDP presidential candidate, in a statement by his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, said INEC’s game plan was to upturn the democratic wishes of the Adamawa people.
He said the initial decision of the REC was to declare the APC candidate as the winner.
Atiku said the Adamawa episode was a case study of the shambolic nature of the 2023 elections in general.
He said: “Here in Adamawa, we are witnesses to a novel practice in election management where a REC announced the loser of an election as a winner.
“It is not in doubt that INEC has approached the Adamawa election with a pre-set agenda of declaring the APC at all costs.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Fintiri said the decision of Yunusa-Ari was “illegal and provocative”.
The governor called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the matter, saying he should not “shy away from this”.
He said: “We call on him to make a statement. We call on him to take a decision. I believe he will not be a party to this.”
The governor called on residents to “peacefully await” the next directive of INEC, adding that the integrity of the electoral commission is “on test”.
He expressed optimism that the electoral umpire would eventually collate and announce the winner of the election without subverting the democratic rights of the residents.
