The Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) yesterday declared Mr. Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the governorship election in Adamawa State.
Announcing the results in Yola, INEC’s returning officer, Prof Mohammed Mele said Fintiri won the supplementary election with 9,337 votes while the earlier purported winner, Mrs. Aishatu Dahiru, also known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), received 6,513 votes.
The supplementary poll was held on April 15 in 69 polling units in the 20 local governments in the state, with less than 40,000 eligible voters.
Recall that before the supplementary poll, Fintiri led Dahiru with over 30,000 votes.
From the result declared after the March 11 governorship poll, Fintiri received 421,524 votes, Binani got 390,275.
For both the main election and the rerun, the governor polled a total of 430,861 votes while Dahiru received 398,788 votes.
Mele said the PDP governorship candidate met the constitutional requirement and thereby returned as governor of the state.
“I, Professor Muhammed Mele, hereby certified that I am the Returning Officer for the Adamawa State Governorship election. The election was contested. That the candidates received the following votes,” he said.
“That Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Recall that the resident electoral commissioner, Mr. Hudu Ari, had, on Sunday, declared Dahiru the winner of the governorship election.
Ari announced the APC candidate winner of the election while the collation of the results of the supplementary election conducted on Saturday was still in progress.
However, INEC headquarters in Abuja declared his action as null and void and suspended the collation of the results.
The commission also summoned him to Abuja and subsequently barred him from the office.
Soon after concluding the Adamawa State governorship election, INEC, yesterday, INEC wrote to the inspector general of police, Mr. Usman Baba, demanding investigation and prosecution of Ari.
The commission took the decision at its meeting yesterday in Abuja.
A tweet via it verified Twitter handle said the commission, wrote, “At its meeting today, 18th April 2023, the commission discussed matters arising from the Adamawa governorship election and decided to:
“Write to the inspector-general of police for the immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the resident electoral commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari.
“Request the secretary to the government of the federation to draw the attention of the appointing authority to the unwholesome behaviour of the REC for further action.” It announced that the collation process would resume at a time to be determined by the returning officer.
Meanwhile, Baba, yesterday ordered the commissioner of police on election duty in Adamawa State, Mr. Mohammed Barde, to withdraw from the state.
Barde and other security chiefs were present at the collation centre when Ari declared Dahiru as the winner of the governorship poll.
Ari declared the APC candidate winner while the collation of the results of the supplementary election had not been concluded.
Besides, according to the Electoral Act, the returning officer and not the REC, has the responsibility to declare results of the elections.
“The IGP has given directive that the commissioner of police on election security in Adamawa State, CP Barde, should pull out of Adamawa State and the commissioner of police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa to proceed to Adamawa immediately, to go and supervise election and provide necessary information and ensure that the process is a success.”
The statement signed by the police spokesman, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the police high command would investigate the failed electoral heist in Adamawa.
“We have not received any letter but we will carry out thorough investigation on the Adamawa incident in collaboration with INEC.
“So, if INEC sends in any letter, we will treat it as recommended as well. Also, the IGP has ordered the redeployment of the CP election Adamawa and replaced him with CP Gombe, CP Etim Equa, who has been directed to proceed to Yola immediately for the conclusion of the guber election process in Adamawa. We are committed to having a more secure and successful process in Adamawa.”
