Phrank Shuaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commission, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, of carrying out contrary electoral function that can equate to what the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, did during the Presidential polls.
Yunusa-Ari had on Sunday announced Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani, the APC governorship candidate in Adamawa, as the winner of the Saturday supplementary election even while the process of results collation was still ongoing, according to Dr Festus Okoye, INEC official in charge of Information and Voter Education.
Shaibu in a statement he released, said the national leadership of INEC could not feign ignorance of the many allegations hanging on the neck of the Adamawa REC, stressing that the suspension of the Adamawa REC without his arrest and prosecution was merely a slap on the wrist.
“It is crystal clear even to the blind that the Adamawa REC learnt well from the INEC Chairman. INEC as an organization, from the top to the bottom is akin to Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. As a matter of fact, the baby goat learns to eat grass by diligently watching the mama devour the lush grass around them
“Despite having over one month to prepare for this supplementary poll, INEC retained this compromised REC who went ahead to undermine the election once more. From all that has happened, it is obvious that Yunusa-Ari was acting on orders from above and that is why Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s warnings were ignored.
“This carefully orchestrated action is a reflection of the electoral heist of February 25, 2023 when the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, decided to announce Bola Tinubu of the APC as winner despite the many irregularities and complaints from several opposition parties. Indeed, Yunusa-Ari acted like his father and boss, Mahmood Yakubu.
“INEC had in a statement by National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, admitted to awarding a sensitive contract to the Binani Printing Press Limited, a firm owned by the APC governorship candidate,” Shuaibu stated.
