Election officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have reconvened at the state collation centre in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. Heavy security presence was reported at the centre, where INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Adamu Gujungu, was seen. Gujungu had been mandated to take the place of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari, who had been suspended by INEC and summoned to Abuja.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, is expected to join the officials at the collation centre. This comes after INEC wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, on Tuesday, requesting that he investigate and prosecute Ari.
On Sunday, INEC suspended the collation of results for the Saturday supplementary governorship election in Adamawa after Ari announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner over the incumbent, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). INEC declared Ari’s announcement an invalid declaration and an usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer. INEC also announced its intention to write to the Inspector General of Police to probe and prosecute Ari.
Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced, with Binani trailing Fintiri. The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election. According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.
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