Electoral Commission summons resident electoral commissioner over controversial Adamawa State Governorship declaration

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has summon summoned both the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) and the Returning Officer at Adamawa State, following controversy over declaration of Mrs Aisha Dahiru popularly called Binani, of the All Progressives Congress(APC)  as the  winner of the Governorship  election.

Penpushing reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner Hudu Ari, had on Sunday morning, controversially declared the female candidate as the winner of the election, a position which the national headquarters of the commission faulted.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a statement by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye argued that it was not the responsibility of the Resident Electoral Commissioner to declare results and pronounced winner

Penpushing further reports that the  statement by the commission, however, declared the results as null and void, thereafter ordered the suspension of the collation of results and summoned both the two officials to its headquarters in Abuja.

‘The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect.. The electoral commission, INEC, has declared as “null, void and of no effect”, the declaration of Aisha Dahiru as the winner of the governorship election in Adamawa’, Okoye wrote.

“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 statement readssaid.

Penpushing also reports that Okoye explained that according to the electoral law, the announcement should have been made by the returning officer of the election, who is a different person, usually an academic appointed by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for that purpose.

‘The commission ordered the suspension of the collation of results and summoned both the REC and the Returning Officer to the INEC headquarters in Abuja. 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’, Okoye added.

Penpushing reports that Binani was contesting under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) while her major opponent Governor Ahmadu Fintirin is of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), while it is recalled that Fintiri  was leading before Saturday’s supplementary election in 69 polling units.

The record has it that before Saturday’s supplementary elections, Fintiri led Binani with over 30,000, and the votes rerun election was held in 69 polling units in the 20 local governments in the state, with less than 40,000 eligible voters.

Penpushing further reports that, to win the election,  Binani needed a huge turnout of voters and needed to win about 90 per cent of the votes cast in Saturday’s supplementary election.

The Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) shortly after the controversy of her declaration as winner presented a brief acceptance speech thanked the people of the state for electing her as first female Governor in Nigeria.

Penpushing also reports that she emphasized that her victory would encourage other women to participate actively in politics, adding that the State had made history in electing her as first female Governor

‘You’ve made history in electing the first female governor in our dear country, Nigeria. This will no doubt broaden political participation by encouraging our daughters, sisters, aunties, mothers and indeed the girl child’, she said

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