BREAKING: INEC reverses self, disowns declaration of APC’s Binani as Adamawa Governor-elect

*Suspends collation of supplementary election results

By OUR REPORTER

Update reaching us from Yola has it that the Abuja headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has nullified the declaration of Senator Aisha Dahiru  a.k.a. Binani as winner of the Adamawa Governorship election.

It will recalled that The DEFENDER reported earlier on Sunday that the Abuja headquarters of INEC, sensing the danger of declaring the APC’s governorship candidate without collated results by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Professor Hudu Yunus Ari, had summoned all officials involved in the suspectedly manipulated process.

The INEC, following its findings, also suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election.

Tension brewed after the state Resident Electoral Commissioner declared a winner before collation was concluded on Sunday April 16.

In a video shared widely on social media, Prof Hudu Yunus Ari, the Adamawa REC, declared Binani as winner midway into collation of the supplementary election after the initial exercise on March 18 was declared inconclusive.

Collated results from 10 out of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) had been declared while the exercise was adjourned on Saturday April 15 till 11am on Sunday April 16 for the collation of remaining results from remaining 10 LGAs.

But Ari, said to have entered the collation centre 9pm against his Saturday’s conclusion with stakeholders including members of the Nigerian Press covering the supplementary election, announced the final result an hour before the scheduled time.

Protesters wondered why the announcement was made by the REC instead of the Returning Officer.

However, INEC swiftly denounced the REC’s action.

A statement posted on INEC official Twitter handle by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, said:

“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa Governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) even when the process has clearly not been concluded.

“The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect.

“Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended. The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately.”

According to Okoye, a “detailed statement to follow shortly.”