INEC National Commissioners Meet Over Adamawa Poll

All National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday had a closed-door meeting at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja over Adamawa supplementary governorship election.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said the Commission will release a statement on the meeting shortly.

The meeting is coming barely 24 hours after the electoral umpire directed its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, to stay away from all activities of the electoral umpire and the election in state.

The INEC REC had on Sunday stirred controversy when at about 9am he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of Saturday’s supplementary election over the incumbent, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

INEC had immediately summoned Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement an invalid declaration and an usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer.

Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Fintiri.

The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.

According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.