ADAMAWA: INEC Suspends Collation, Invites REC Over Pronouncement Of Binani As Victor

The Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, has been invited by the Independent National Electoral Commission about the declaration of the election that took place on Saturday.

Festus Okoye, INEC’s commissioner for voter education, revealed this on Sunday in a statement that was released and posted on its Twitter account.

INEC also mentioned that collation was evidently not finished when he made the announcement.

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“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. Detailed statement to follow shortly,” the statement reads.

Earlier, there was a little controversy as Prof Hudu Yunus Ari, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa, declared Binani as winner midway into the collation.

Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.

In its response, the INEC noted that “the process has clearly not been concluded.”

Breaking News:
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.

— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) April 16, 2023

ENIGERIA NEWSPAPER