INEC Refutes Declaration, Summons REC To Abuja
Aisha Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the Adamawa State Governorship Elections on Sunday by the state Returning Officer (REC), Barrister Hudu Yunusa, who announced she was the winner without announcing any results.
In a video circulating on social media, Yunusa was immediately challenged by some officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) present in the State INEC headquarters.
In a very bizarre turn of events, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, disowned the announcement, suspended the collation of results and recalled the Adamawa REC and other officials to Abuja, immediately. The INEC press release was from the official Tweeter page from Barrister Festus Okoye, The National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education.
The announcement of a winner by the REC is an illegal action as it usurps the powers of the Returning Officer. The declaration by Hudu Yunusa was very surprising given that the election results had not fully been collated.
It is particularly shocking for this to happen as INEC officials have been accused of collusion with certain political parties to influence and change election results.
The election in Adamawa State is a supplementary election and is a heated contest between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is presenting the current State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on whose ticket, Aisha Binani is running.
