By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THERE appears a stalemate over the supplementary governorhip election held on Saturday April 15 in Adamawa State.
Earlier, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday morning, through the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Mr Hudu Yunusa, had declared Aishatu Dahiru Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner.
He had announced that
Binani defeated the incumbent governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri.
But in a swift reaction, INEC, through its National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, reversed the declaration, declaring it as “null and void.”
In a brief thread of tweets on Sunday, Okoye said the election process was clearly not concluded before the announcement was made.
Mr Okoye added that the action of the REC was a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. “It is null, void and of no effect.”
He consequently stressed that following the action, the collation of results of the supplementary election has now been suspended.
The INEC REC in Adamawa State Yunusa Ari, on Sunday, stirred controversy in the state’s governorship election when at about 9:00a.m he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of APC, as the winner of the election.
His announcement elicited protests from members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) present at the state collation centre in Yola.
Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Ahmadu Fintiri, the incumbent governor and PDP candidate.
The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11:00a.m 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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