EXCLUSIVE: INEC Secretly Moving To Conduct Adamawa Governorship Rerun In 77 Polling Units
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council on Thursday said it was reliably informed that contrary to 69 as declared, 77 units were presented to the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
There are alleged plans to manipulate and conduct the Adamawa state governorship rerun election in 77 polling units, as against the 69 declared by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council on Thursday said it was reliably informed that contrary to 69 as declared, 77 units were presented to the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
At a press briefing, the deputy Director-General (South) of the council, Felix Tangwami, in Yola, the state capital, on Thursday called for the immediate removal of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Hudu Yunusa.
“As I speak with you today, we have received information that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa state submitted to INEC Headquarters that 77 polling units were cancelled from Adamawa state instead of 69 for governorship which is at variance with what was declared by the returning officer, Prof Mohammed Mele; this means there’s an addition of eight polling units from Mr. Hudi Yunusa Ari,” Tangwami said.
Mele had relied on the electoral guidelines to order for a repeat election in 69 polling units because the ballots at stake exceeded the leading margin, according to him.
The incumbent governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who polled 421,524 votes, as against Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani’s 399,275 votes could not be declared the winner considering the total number of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) collected in the affected units; which is 37,016, according to Mele.
He explained that the 37,016 ballots at stake were higher than Fintiri’s leading margin of 31,249. Therefore, the rerun election was premised on this guideline.
However, some officials of the electoral umpire, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, claimed that the REC, Hudu Yunusa had unilaterally jacked up the number of cancelled units from 69 to 77 without recourse to law.
Going by the REC’s new formula, the total number of polling units affected across the state are 77 with a total number of 46,949 registered voters and 40,171 PVCs collected.
They accordingly decried the RECs alleged desperation to manipulate the polls in favour of his preferred candidate.
“The Adamawa state REC as well as the returning officer should save themselves from shame by desisting from further complicity in the process by manipulation and learn from other patriotic Nigerians who refused to be compromised on the peoples’ mandate.
“Recall that recently the Adamawa state REC was heard in a recorded phone conversation instructing the Fufore returning officer to manipulate and announce a doctored result from Fufore in favour of Hajiya Binani of the APC at all cost.
“The latest step he’s taking has grave consequences because elections are not handled this way. You cannot publicly announce results and then alter them unilaterally.
“He has ignored wise counsel and raised the number of cancelled units from 69 to 77 contrary to the provisions of the electoral act,” an INEC staff member lamented to SaharaReporters.
Naija News House reported on March 19 that Yunusa directed an election official, Hammajam Mohammed, to rig the governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Binani, according to a leaked audio.
As it stands, it remains to be seen if the INEC headquarters will accept the REC’s doctored figures for the rerun election.
Yunusa’s mobile line could not be reached, as calls indicated that his phone was switched off.
