· REC escapes lynching
· Uneasy calm in Yola
· Abuja takes over process
By Godfrey AKON
The Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Barr. Nuhu Yunusa-Ansari, caused a stir, Sunday, after he usurped the position of the returning officer of the state’s supplementary governorship election, and went ahead to announce the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Aishatu Binani, as winner.
How it started
Yunusa-Ansari had abruptly suspended collation upon resumption on Saturday evening, until 11 am on Sunday, only to sneak into the collation centre at 9am on Sunday to declare Binani as winner.
Loud altercations were reported at the collation centre as party agents and observers repeatedly reminded the REC that it was not his place to announce election results.
INEC reacts
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has suspended the collation of the election results and ordered the REC, Yunusa-Ansari, and officials involved in the sham declaration of results to immediately report to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The commission, in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, condemned the action of the REC as “a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer and therefore null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of the result of the supplementary election held yesterday 15th April 2023 is suspended forthwith.
“The REC for Adamawa State and all other officials involved in the process are hereby directed to report immediately to INEC headquarters in Abuja,” the statement said.
The commission further noted that it is deeply disturbed by the harassment of its two National Commissioners deployed to the State to ensure a peaceful and credible supplementary election.
“We urge the security agencies to provide them with necessary security and ensure that nothing untoward befalls them. The two National Commissioners, the Returning Officer and other staff of the Commission must be allowed to perform their duties without let or hindrance.
“The Commission will not condone any act of lawlessness or brigandage targeted at our officials or the process,” INEC said.
Civil society kicks
Reacting to the incident, the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, rejected the announcement of the results declaring Binani as winner.
The CDD in a tweet on its official Twitter handle on Sunday, said the announcement should rather have been made by the returning officer while urging the INEC to continue the collation of the results and punish erring officials.
“The CDD strongly condemns the recent announcement, by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, of a winner in yesterday’s governorship election.
“The laws and procedures guiding Nigeria’s elections are such that only the returning officer can make such a declaration, which makes this recent announcement null and void. We call on @inecnigeria to immediately exercise its powers by continuing the collation process that was scheduled to resume today, sanctioning all erring officials who carried out this illegal announcement and ensuring that results are publicly available to all citizens.
“It is important that laid down processes are adhered to avoid a breakdown of law and order in a heightened political environment. CDD will release a statement on the conduct of the elections later today,” it said.
Atiku warns INEC against “game plan”
The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, asked the INEC to immediately resume collation of Adamawa governorship election.
Atiku in a statement by Paul Ibe his media adviser called on Nigerians to the “game plan of trying to up-turn the democratic wishes of the people of Adamawa State in the governorship election in the state.”
Atiku said the initial decision of the REC to declare the APC candidate, Sen. Aisha Binani, as the winner of the election, is a case study “to the shambolic nature of the 2023 elections in general.”
He said: “In Adamawa, we are witnesses to a novel practice in election management where a Resident Electoral Commissioner announced the loser of an election as a winner.
“It is not in doubt that INEC has approached the Adamawa State election with a preset agenda of declaring the APC at all cost.
“It is, therefore, on this note that we wish to call the attention of the world to the scheme being perpetrated by INEC to compromise the electoral wishes of the people of Adamawa State.
“We also wish to inform the world that such behaviour by INEC has a natural consequence of unsettling the peace and security of the society.
“We have seen how INEC conducted the February 25 and March 18 elections against the run of play and challenging cheated candidates to go to the court, knowing full well the agenda that they are up to.
“It must be put on record that the people of Adamawa State will not allow themselves to be cheated three times in a row. It must also be put on record that whatever the consequences of the scheme being scripted, both the INEC and those vested with state powers should be blamed for the consequences of such actions.
“That the APC candidate has a prepared acceptance speech is a pointer to the guarantee of a false victory which the INEC must have promised her.
“It is also our demand that the Adamawa REC and any other parties complicit in this treasonable act should be arrested immediately and prosecuted to the full extent of the law to serve as a deterrent to anti-democratic forces who may want to torpedo our democracy and provoke violence in our country,”
Announcement provocative – Fintiri
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state while appealing for calm amidst tension that rocked the state after the declaration, warned that it was provocative.
He accused the REC of pushing the patience of the people to the limit since the beginning of the election.
At a press conference at the Dougerei Government House, the governor said, “It is on record that we went to the polls for the first round of the election on 18th of March, 2023. Even when it was apparent that I was coasting to victory, this same gang aided the confusion that rendered the election inconclusive.”
He added that, “This action is no doubt provocative, but in this situation, I appeal for calm as always. I assure you that as your leader, I will ensure NOBODY thwarts your democratic rights.”
A civilian coup – Shehu Sani
Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, described the controversial declaration of Binani as the winner the governorship election of Adamawa State as a “civilian coup.”
Sani in a statement he personally signed on Sunday, described the declaration as a “civilian coup.”
He, however, commended the INEC for taking the bold step to suspend the collation of the election results.
