Controversy as ‘wrong’ INEC official declares Binani winner

The INEC The Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Ari, has declared Aisha Dahiru, popularly called Binani, as the winner of the state governorship election.

Mr. Ari made the declaration on Sunday morning amid chaos in Yola, the state capital, Daily Trust reports.

The video of Mr. Ari announcing the winner to Binani has since gone viral.

However, according to the electoral law, the election candidate should make the announcement, being another person, usually an academic appointed by INEC for the purpose.

“We have received reports of illegal declaration of results by @inecnigeria REC for #Adamawa, S 64 & 65 Electoral Act 2022 & Part 3, in violation of INEC guidelines, power to declare results only to an appointed officer. INEC,” the prominent election observation group wrote, Yiaga Africak on Twitter.

“We call on @inecnigeria to rescind the illegal declaration, suspend the REC for Adamawa state and take urgent action to protect the integrity of the process.”

Mr. Ari had earlier postponed the collection to 11:00 on Sunday, but he announced the winner an hour before the scheduled time.

As of 1am, before the adjournment, only the results of key polling stations in 10 of the 20 local governments were announced with the PDP candidate, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, still in the lead, Daily Trust reports.

Binani, the candidate of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is seeking to become the first woman elected governor of a state in Nigeria.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported the most herculean task Binani faces after the general election, trailing Mr. Fintiri by more than 30,000 votes and needing about 90 percent of the votes cast in Saturday’s election. The re-election was held in 69 polling stations in 20 local governments of the state with less than 40,000 voters.

More details later…