THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has directed one of its Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari, to stay away from all activities of the electoral umpire and the election in Adamawa State.
Mr Yunusa Ari who was the REC for the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State, stirred controversy on Sunday morning when he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the polls, a move that was not within his constitutionally given authority.
Asides from the announcement being an usurpation of the Returning Officer’s office, Barr Ari doubly-erred in that he announced the results of an election whose collation process had not been concluded, and this caused tension within the state, and stirred great debate across the nation, with observers calling what transpired in Adamawa State, a shame.
In a swift response, INEC declared the announcement Of Binani As ‘Winner’ Of Adamawa Gov Election ‘Null, Void’, adding that the pronouncement is of no effect.
Consequently, INEC suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election in Adamawa and invited the REC, Returning Officer and all officials involved to report back to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.
As a follow up to the actions already taken, the electoral umpire on Monday put out a communique strongly directing that Barr Yunusa Ari should stay away from the Commission’s Office in Adamawa State until further notice.
The statement further disclosed that the Commission’s Administrative Secretary in Adamawa has been directed to take full charge of INEC in the state, with immediate effect.
