I’m not do-or-die politician, Binani says after Adamawa’s allegedly “stolen” but retrieved election mandate

*Says ‘I won’t subvert democratic process’

By OUR REPORTER

Like the case of those that say “wonder shall never end”, the woman politician known to be at the centre of Sunday drama at the Adamawa State supplementary election results collation centre and All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Governorship Candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, has that she is will never do anything that can subvert democratic process.

As such, she said she is not a do-or-die politician, while also denying involvement in claims of N2 billion bribe on a viral video by an alleged personnel of the Department of State Service (DSS) to rig the April 15 supplementary election in the state.

Binani described as “bizarre”, allegations that she gave out N2 billion to some unnamed staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) including embattled Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari, to procure a favourable declaration as Governor-elect for Adamawa State.

“I never did, I would never do such,” the APC candidate stressed.

REC Ari had on Sunday usurped the powers of the Returning Officer in the state, Mohammed Mele, and announced Binani as winner of the dramatic poll and the APC governorship candidate made it to a televised acceptance speech.

INEC subsequently nullified the declaration, suspended the collation of results and barred Ari from office.

Whereas she was initially excused for being unaware of the drama at the collation centre even as INEC voided her declaration, Binani surprised many Nigerians including women, when on Monday she still went to a Federal High Court in Abuja with a prayer to restrict the electoral umpire from stopping her “illegal” declaration as Governor-elect.

The court on Tuesday, however, declined to hear her case until her counsels will have trashed the issue of jurisdiction.

INEC resumed Tuesday collation of results from the remaining 10 of 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) yet to arrive when Binani was falsely made Governor-elect.

At the end of the entire exercise, it said the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani who got 398,738 votes. INEC also declared Fintiri as the winner of the keenly contested poll.

Meanwhile, a video had emerged online showing that a beaten Ari allegedly said he received N2 billion bribe to announce Binani as winner of the poll, Channels Television online reported.

However, Binani, in her statement, said she never offered any money to influence the process.

She said, “I wish to reiterate that I am a democrat, I have always been a committed democrat and will never do anything to subvert democratic process. I am not do-or-die politician. In the past I have won elections into the House of Representatives and the Senate in free and fair manner.

“What happened in Adamawa was an unsuccessful attempt to subvert the will of the people. The REC was illegally told to stand down by two INEC national commissioners from Abuja who were supposed to be in Adamawa in a supervisory capacity.

“Even more curious is the nocturnal visit of the same INEC national officers to Adamawa State Government house and bizarre declaration same day after the visit that they have taken over the collation through the backdoor, with collation and returning Officers selected by the Governor Adamawa.

“The roles of these INEC officers from Abuja and the real mission of the two to the Government house should be of interest to all democrats. I urge all lovers of democracy to take a deeper interest in our electoral process and democracy not only in Adamawa but in the whole country.”

The DEFENDER reports that it is unclear whether Binani, who has just not to be a do-or-die politician and that she will not do things to subvert democratic process, will now “humbly” return to court and withdraw her prayer for the court to uphold the declaration by Ari that she is the governor-elect.