Adamawa Guber Elections: PDP demands REC’s arrest
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the arrest of the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, for declaring the purported result of the gubernatorial election in the state even before the conclusion of collation.
Addressing a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, who made the demand also alleged that the PDP is in possession of a confessional statement affirming that some people received the sum of N2 billion to compromise the election.
He said the REC should be arrested “for making such illegal declaration in criminal usurpation of the duties and powers of the Returning Officer, Prof Mohammed Mele, while collation was ongoing.”
Ologunagba asserted that the attempt to steal the mandate of people amounts to visiting “violence” on them.
He warned that crisis in Adamawa State can only be averted with the declaration of the candidate of the party, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who it says is the true winner of the gubernatorial election.
The party spokesman said: “I believe that INEC headquarters is sufficiently embarrassed by now. And if they are, they should stop this violence on the conscience of Adamawa people because violence needs not only be physical.
“When you continue to provoke the emotions of people and begin to disregard their feelings, people who went up to the wards and polling units to vote and they voted and then somebody takes it away, what violence can be more than that?
“Violence to their conscience, violence to their integrity, violence to their own sensibilities. I think this must stop.
“We are calling on INEC right now to conclude Adamawa supplementary election and declare the candidate that had won, the Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri.”
Mainwhile INEC’S REC has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Binani, as winner of the Adamawa State governorship election conducted on Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned the declaration by the REC and directed him to report to the national headquarters for his actions while collation of results was yet to be concluded.
