INEC Voids Declaration Of Binani As Gov-Elect, Summons Adamawa REC …Suspends Collation Of Results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has voided the declaration of Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the winner of the governorship election in Adamawa State.
The electoral body also summoned the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, over the controversial declaration.
INEC made the declaration on Twitter in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye.
“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”.
Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two main contestants in the election with Mr Fintiri leading before Saturday’s rerun election in 69 polling units.
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Hudu Ari, had in the early hours of yesterday, sneaked into Adamawa State Governorship collation centre and declared Binani winner of the governorship polls.
Binani, according to official results released by INEC, prior to her declaration, was trailing behind Governor Fintiri, who had established a margin of lead of 31,249 votes.
But Fintiri despite polling 421, 524 votes to defeat Binani who polled 390, 275 votes could not be returned by the state Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele, a Professor of English and Linguistics from the University of Maiduguri, because the margin of lead did not exceed the number of cancelled votes in 69 polling units with total number Permanent Voters Card collected of 37,016.
However, at the resumption of the collation of results from the supplementary polls, which was held across the state last Saturday, to conclude the Adamawa governorship election exercise, a mild drama ensued as the Adamawa REC, who had abruptly suspended the collation exercise until 11am of yesterday sneaked into the collation centre at 9:00 am to declare Binani winner.
The Tide learnt that Governor Fintiri was in the lead from the results of 10 councils so far declared in the supplementary polls.