Owing to avoidable crises that characterised Saturday’s controversial supplementary elections in Adamawa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seems set to announce the results of the election on Thursday.
Theliberationnews gathered that the electoral umpire will between Tuesday and Wednesday meet as a “Commission” on the matter. This was disclosed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of information and Voter Education Committee, Dr Festus Okoye.
Recall that the Commission on Monday announced the indefinite suspension of its Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari for what it called usurping the powers of the Chief Returning Officer and unilaterally returning the All Progressives Congress, APC, Candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, as duly elected when collation had not been concluded sparking a controversy.
The declaration of election results is the responsibility of the returning officer and not the resident electoral commissioner. The INEC summoned the REC and Mele Lamido, returning officer in the election, to its headquarters in Abuja.
At the time the REC announced Binani as winner of the poll, results of the supplementary election from 10 LGAs were yet to be collated.
From the results collated on Saturday, Ahmadu Fintiri, Adamawa State governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was in the lead.
Beside nullifying Yunusa-Ari’s declaration, the commission, on Monday, barred the REC from its office as PDP members and supporters protested in the state and issued the electoral umpire a 72-hour ultimatum to announce the results.
This was as a group of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, described the political drama associated with the supplementary election in Adamawa State as an attempt to derail Nigeria’s democracy and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.
Of the 26 states where governorship polls were held, Adamawa is the only one yet to be concluded. The first election on March 18 was declared inconclusive alongside Kebbi. However, the other supplementary polls were concluded on April 15 while that of Adamawa ran into a fresh crisis following the action of the suspended REC.
Asked when the coalition would resume following the REC’s suspension, Okoye said, “the commission” would have to meet first and fix a date for continuation of the exercise.
A meeting of “the commission” entails a gathering of the INEC Chairman and the 12 national commissioners.
According to Okoye, most of the national commissioners were deployed to the states to monitor last weekend’s supplementary elections, explaining that they were on their way back to Abuja.
“The commission will have to meet as a Commission to take a decision on that. The National Commissioners were deployed in various states. One was sent to Kebbi, one to Oyo, one to Sokoto, another to Rivers and so on. They are on their way to Abuja. If they get to Abuja tonight (Monday), then the commission may likely meet on Tuesday and decide on the date to continue with the collation,” Okoye said.
Sources at the commission, however, said the electoral umpire does not intend to stretch the process further except “legally necessary”, adding that the collation would be concluded before the week runs out in order to douse tension in the state.
Following Yunusa-Ari’s unilateral action, the INEC has ordered the REC to steer clear from its office in Yola, Adamawa State.
In a letter dated April 17, 2023 by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the INEC directed its Administrative Secretary in Adamawa to take charge of its affairs.
Part of the letter read: “I hereby convey the Commission’s decision that you (Barr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adamawa State should stay away from the Commission’s office in Adamawa State immediately until further notice.
“The Administrative Secretary has been directed to take full charge of INEC, Adamawa State with immediate effect.”
Stop this Adamawa show of shame, PDP Govs tell INEC
The Aminu Tambuwal-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors’ Forum, has condemned what it described as the ongoing show of shame in Adamawa State over the governorship election.
The PDP GF urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to put a stop to the dangerous show by purging itself of corrupt and clearly partisan members of staff.
This demand was contained in a statement signed by the forum’s Director General, Mr. C.I.D. Maduabum, in Abuja, late on Monday.
The PDP governors said: “The attempted electoral heist and brigandage perpetrated by the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, is perhaps the lowest point of the 2023 general elections.
“ We commend the immediate steps taken by the INEC as an institution to recover its battered image by nullifying the attempted coup and suspending the REC.
“The appropriate Returning Officer, Mele Lamido, should immediately conclude the collation and declare the result.
“One of the most important lessons of this election season is that the integrity of INEC personnel is crucial to free, fair, and credible elections as well as deployment of technology.
“Going forward, there should be a deliberate process of revisiting the appointments of National and Resident Electoral Commissioners to weed out corrupt and extremely partisan officials. It is the partisan method of appointment of these officials that led to national disgrace in Adamawa State.
“Appropriate sanctions, including prosecution of all those involved, especially the former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, should be swiftly commenced to serve as an example to others.
“We enjoin all Nigerians to be on alert as we brace up to emerging threats to our democracy and the struggle for good governance in Nigeria.”
