PDP Chair seeks punishment to deter law breaking
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting National Chairman Iliya Damagum has demanded legal punishment for Hudu Yunusa-Ari, Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, over his “subversive” declaration of election result in Yola on Sunday.
Yunusa-Ari announced All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Aishatu Binani as the winner of the supplementary governorship election while the results were still being collated, whereas he was not authorised by law to declare the winner.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) national headquarters has since announced his suspension, recommended him to police for prosecution, and finished the collation and declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the poll.
Inspector General of Police Usman Baba has also replaced Adamawa Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohammed Barde who sat beside Yunusa-Ari and provided cover for him during the illegal act.
But Binani – who gave an acceptance speech amid the fiasco – has gone to court to prevent the INEC from annulling her purported victory.
Damagum reiterated the call by the PDP for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Yunusa-Ari for his attempt to award victory to the APC.
He accused Yunusa-Ari of trying to subvert the will of the people, calling his action a reckless, inexcusable, and unpardonable assault on democracy, which amounted to a civilian coup to take over the government illegally.
“Gentlemen of the press, we have called you up again today to update you on our position on the Governorship election in Adamawa State,” Damagum said at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
“On Sunday, April 16, 2023, our party addressed the nation over the reprehensible conduct of the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who attempted to subvert the Will of the people of Adamawa State by illegally claiming that the defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Binani, won the election, while collation of results was still on-going.”
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Mounting a civilian coup
“The action of the Adamawa State REC is a reckless, inexcusable and unpardonable assault on our democracy, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC guidelines and the manifest will of the people of Adamawa state, which they expressed in voting en masse for the PDP,” Damagum said, according to reporting by Tribune.
“This action by … Yunusa-Ari amounts to a ‘Civilian Coup’ with the intention to take control and install an illegal government in Adamawa State contrary to the provision of Section 1 Sub-section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“For clarity, Section 1 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that:
‘“The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’
“The PDP insists that such subversive conduct of … Yunusa-Ari must not go unpunished. We restate our demand that INEC should without further delay hand over … Yunusa-Ari to the police for investigation and prosecution.
“The Inspector General of Police should, as a matter of urgency, remove, investigate and sanction the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police for providing cover and enabling the perpetration of this grievous criminal act against our democracy.”