Security is tight at the state collation centre in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have reconvened and resumed the collation of results for Saturday’s Adamawa State supplementary governorship election.
Security is tight at the state collation centre in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The electoral umpire on Sunday suspended the collation after the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, went rogue and announced Senator Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner over the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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INEC invalidated the announcement, suspended Ari indefinitely and summoned him to its Abuja headquarters in Abuja for interrogation.
Reports reaching TheNiche indicate that the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, is at the collation centre.
INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Adamu Gujungu, who has been mandated to take the place of the erring Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, was seen at the collation centre.
Also, the state Returning Officer, Mohammed Mele, is present.
INEC had immediately summoned Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement an invalid declaration and a usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer.
The electoral umpire also said it will write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute Ari.
Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Fintiri.
The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11 am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.
According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.
The Adamawa State Returning Officer, Mohammed Mele, is also at the collation centre.
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