By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has barred Alhaji Yunusa Hudu Ari, the commission’s embattled Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Adamawa, from its Adamawa State office.
The development comes barely 24 hours after the REC controversially declared candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Dahiru ‘Binani’, as winner of the election, while results collation process was not completed.
INEC had voided the announcement with immediate suspension of collation of results.
In a letter dated April 17, 2023 signed by INEC’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and addressed to the embattled REC, the commission directed the Adamawa administrative secretary to take charge.
It reads, “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.”
METROWATCHXTRA.COM reports that INEC on Sunday suspended the collation of the supplementary election results following outrage that trailed the declaration by the embattled REC.
National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, who announced the suspension of the collation, in a statement, said the commission had summoned the REC and all involved to its headquarters in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged INEC to resume collation of the Adamawa governorship election results and declare the party’s candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri, winner of the election.
The party made the call at a news conference by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja.
Ologunagba said that results uploaded on INEC Result Viewing Portal (IRev) already showed that Fintiri was the winner of the election.
On its part, Governor Fintiri expressed confidence that he would be re-elected despite the controversy surrounding the gubernatorial election.
