After many hours of drama that trailed the Adamawa governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Ahmadu Fintiri, the incumbent governor, as winner of the poll.
INEC said Fintiri polled more votes than other candidates including Aisha Dahiru, better known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), vying to unseat him.
The electoral umpire said the governor, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, polled 430,861 to emerge as winner after defeating Binani with over 34,000 votes.
Binani, who is a serving senator on the platform of the APC, got 396,788 votes to come second after the supplementary election held in the state.
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Both Fintiri and Binani polled 827,649 votes collectively, representing over 70 percent of the ballots cast by the 876,387 accredited voters across the state.
Meanwhile, INEC has called on Usman Baba, the inspector general of police (IGP), to investigate and prosecute the embattled Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari.
INEC made the request in a letter to the IGP following its decision at a meeeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
The commission, in a tweet on its verified Twitter handle, said: “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. The collation process shall resume at a time to be determined by the Returning Officer.”
Ari had on Sunday declared Binani as winner of the re-run election while collation was still ongoing.
Consequently, the commission suspended the collation and ordered the REC and other officials involved in what it described as “usurpation of the power of the returning officer and therefore null, void and of no effect” to immediately report to its headquarters in Abuja.
Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission in a letter on Monday, asked the REC to steer clear from office and directed the Administrative Secretary to take full charge of INEC, Adamawa with immediate effect.
