Binani: Adamawa REC to face INEC panel today

On Sunday, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner for Adamawa State, came under fire from opposition parties and non-governmental organizations for assuming the responsibilities of the returning officer for the state’s governorship election.

The Punch reports that after declaring the results for 11 out of the 20 local government districts where reruns were held, the Independent National Electoral Commission moved the announcement of the state supplementary election results from 1 am on Sunday to 11 am.

But before 11 a.m., the REC arrived to the state INEC office in Yola, where the results were being tallied, and declared Senator Aishatu Dahiru, also known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress as the victor of the governorship race.

Before making the decision, Binani lagged behind Peoples Democratic Party Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who had a lead of 31,249 votes.

The PDP and Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, demanded Yunusa-Ari’s immediate arrest in response to the REC’s decision, which incited outrage across the nation.

The errant REC might be sentenced to 36 months in prison if found guilty.

Tension was created on Sunday in Adamawa State as a result of Binani’s announcement, which the Independent National Electoral Commission later revoked.

However, INEC urged Nigerians to reject the announcement made at the collation center in its statement invalidating Ari’s conduct.

The REC and other officials, it claimed, were summoned to Abuja and took over the returning officer’s responsibilities.

The REC would appear before a committee of the commission on Monday under the direction of Mahmood Yakubu, the National Chairman. The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Festus Okoye, who signed the statement on Sunday, noted that the declaration by the REC was null and void as the action of the REC was “usurpation of the power of the returning officer.”