INEC denies its officials compromised in Adamawa, in riposte to Binani
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
None of our officials engaged in “discreet nocturnal visit” to Government House in Yola over the Adamawa supplementary governorship election on April 15, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said, clearing its personnel of comprise.
INEC Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman Festus Okoye made the clarification in Abuja.
He was reacting to allegation by All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Aisha Binani that INEC officials compromised and undermined the electoral process.
“What happened in Adamawa was an unsuccessful attempt to subvert the will of the people.
“The REC [Hudu Yunusa-Ari, now suspended] was illegally told to stand down by two INEC national commissioners from Abuja who were supposed to be in Adamawa in a supervisory capacity,” she said in a statement she personally signed.
“Even more curious is the nocturnal visit of some INEC national officers to the Adamawa State Government House and the bizarre declaration the same day after the visit that they have taken over the collation through the backdoor with the collation and returning officers selected by the governor of Adamawa.”
Yunusa-Ari on April 16 announced Binani as the winner of the supplementary election while the results were still being collated, whereas he did not have the legal authorised to declare the winner.
INEC national headquarters has since announced his suspension and recommended him to police for prosecution.
The INEC has also finished the collation and declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the poll.
Okoye did not mention Binani or any other candidate by name in a counter statement he issued but insisted such allegations are lies and should be ignored.
“Ordinarily, the commission does not join issues with partisan actors, particularly where no evidence has been provided,” Okoye explained.
“To set the record straight, no such visit or meeting took place let alone the compilation of any purported list of collation and returning officers.
“Such a meeting would have been contrary to the oath of neutrality that we all swore to.”
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INEC issues appointment letters to those engaged
“Moreover, every conscientious observer would have noticed that the commission appointed and retained only one returning officer for the governorship election who also doubled as the state collation officer for the presidential election,” Okoye added, per Daily Trust.
“Like all returning officers nationwide, he was issued with a letter of appointment by the commission, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State was duly informed.
“The list of collation officers was also forwarded to the state with every page personally endorsed by the chairman of the commission well ahead of the arrival of the national commissioners.”