David Lawani, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday came hard on the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, asking him to stay away from the commission’s offices in the state.

In a circular dated April 17, 2023, by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC directed the Administrative Secretary to take full control of the INEC office in Adamawa State.

This followed the controversy arising from the suspension of supplementary collation of results after Yunusa-Ari, purportedly announced Aisha Dahiru Binani as the winner of the governorship election.

Yunusa-Ari who was the REC for the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State, stirred controversy on Sunday morning when he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the polls, a move that was not within his constitutionally given authority.

Outside being a usurpation of the Returning Officer’s office, Yunusa-Ari doubly erred in that he announced the results of an election whose collation process had not been concluded, and this caused tension within the state, and stirred great debate across the nation, with observers calling what transpired in Adamawa State, a shame.

In a swift response, INEC declared the announcement of Binani as the ‘winner’ of the Adamawa governorship election ‘null, void’, adding that the pronouncement was of no effect.
Consequently, INEC suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election in Adamawa and invited the REC, Returning Officer, and all officials involved to report back to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.

As a follow-up to the actions already taken, the electoral umpire yesterday put out a communique strongly directing Yunusa-Ari to stay away from the commission’s office in Adamawa State until further notice.

The statement read, “I hereby convey the Commission’s decision that you (Hudu Yunusa Ari), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adamawa State should stay away from the Commission’s office in Adamawa State immediately until further notice.

“The Administrative Secretary has been directed to take full charge of INEC, Adamawa State with immediate effect. Please, accept the assurances of the Commission’s warm regards”, she noted.

•Protests erupt as PDP demands announcement of election results

Meanwhile, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa have staged a demonstration over the governorship election in the state.

The protesters, who marched through the streets of Yola, the capital of Adamawa yesterday held placards that read “Adamawa is not for sale” and “INEC the world is watching”, among others.

Speaking with reporters during the protest, The Deputy Director-General of the PDP Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, Felix Tangwami, who was one of the leading protesters, called for restraints from other supporters.

He said the exercise would maintain a high level of decorum since the protest was not a one-day affair but one which will continue until INEC yields to its demand to conclude the collation process and declare Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the winner.

Tangwami said, “Be peaceful and civil, we would lay siege to the INEC office until the Commission listens to us, resume collation, and make a return. Because Adamawa people are not happy, because what has happened is treasonable, and illegal and we take our call to the streets to demand Justice is done with our protest for as long as it takes. Please exercise restraints and decorum,” he appealed.

Fintiri’s first term in office expires on May 29.