Adamawa Supplementary Election: Process suspended as INEC disowns declaration of Binani as Adamawa Governor-Elect; Fintiri lead as INEC suspends collation of governorship results

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned the declaration of Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru as winner of the Adamawa Governorship election.

INEC has also suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election on Sunday, April 16.

Controversy had ensued after the state Resident Electoral Commissioner declared a winner before collation was concluded on Sunday April 16.

In a video shared widely on social media, Prof Hudu Yunus Ari, the Adamawa REC, declared Binani as winner midway into collation of the supplementary election after the initial exercise on March 18 was declared inconclusive.

Results from 10 out of the 20 local government areas had been declared while the exercise was adjourned till 11am Sunday.

But Ari announced the final result an hour before the scheduled time. Protesters wondered why the announcement was made by the REC instead of the returning officer.

However, INEC swiftly denounced the REC’s action.

“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.”

The statement signed by Festus Okoye INEC National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education promised a “detailed statement to follow shortly.”

Meanwhile, Adamawa State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri, on Saturday maintained his lead in the supplementary polls held in the state, ahead of his main rival, Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Before INEC suspended the coalition of the governorship elections in Adamawa State till 10 am today, Fintiri was leading Binani by over 1,000 votes in the results collated from about 11 local government areas.

Report say tension heightened after the officials of the INEC barred journalists from accessing the collation centre for the supplementary elections in the state.

Journalists who were already accredited during the presidential and governorship elections were shocked when they were turned back by stern-looking policemen who said they were given orders from above not to allow any journalist access to the collation centre.

Earlier, news had filtered in that there were moves to undermine the electoral process.

This led to a series of protests by the campaign office of the PDP, which vowed to resist any attempt to undermine or doctor the governorship results.

In the result declared on March 11, incumbent Governor Fintiri polled 421,524 votes, while his main rival, Binani scored 390,275.

Fintiri defeated Binani with a margin of over 30,000 votes. The governor also won the election in 13 of Adamawa’s 21 local government areas while Binani won in the remaining eight.

But the state’s Collation Officer, Prof. Mohammed Mele announced the cancellation of elections in 69 polling units in Fufore LGA, which affected no fewer than 37,016 potential voters with PVCs in those units.

Though the final results showed that Fintiri scored the highest votes, INEC said the cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between him and the runner-up, Binani.

It, therefore, declared the governorship election in Adamawa State inconclusive.

The 37,016 potential voters in Fufore were expected to determine the fate of Fintiri and Binani yesterday.

In the supplementary polls held on Saturday 15, the results collated by INEC from 11 LGAs showed that Fintiri got 5, 282 votes while Binani scored 3,692.

In Demsa Borong Ward, APC scored 43 votes while the PDP got 124 votes.

In Yola South, APC got 797 votes, while the PDP scored 678 votes.

APC got 368 votes in Yola North, while the PDP scored 357 votes.

Others declared are: Lamurde LGA, while, APC got 285, PDP scored 580; Jada LGA, APC 145, PDP 271; Shelleng LGA, APC 223, PDP 299; Hong LGA, APC 361, PDP 1,056; Gante LGA, APC 176, PDP 309; Muhia LGA, APC 172, PDP 271; Song LGA, APC 558, PDP 309; and Michika LGA, APC 562, PDP 1028.

The collation was however, suspended till Sunday April 16.

Recall INEC held supplementary elections in many polling units in 24 states to conclude all outstanding governorship, national, and state assembly polls.

In earlier elections held on February 25 and March 18, the commission declared winners for the Presidency, 26 governorship, 104 senatorial, 329 House members, and 935 state assembly seats.

While the commission declared several polls inconclusive, it cancelled others due to irregularities and violence in the affected states.