Minutes after the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State had declared Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed winner of the Saturday supplementary election in the state, the Commission suspended the process and voided the announced victory.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Barr. udu Yunusa, had earlier in the morning declared Binani the Governor – elect of Adamawa, the home state of former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, in the February 25 poll.
But in a twist this afternoon, INEC through Barr. Festus Okoye, National Commissioner, Information & Voter Education said the purported declaration of Binani as winner, was a action taken while the collation of results had not been concluded.
The Commission noted that the REC usurped the function of the Returning Officer and thereby declared the purported announcement on Binani as null, void and of no effect.
The body consequently invited the REC, Returning Officer and all involved to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately.
INEC stated, “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.”
According to Okoye, detailed statement on the Adamawa Supplementary Poll would follow shortly.
