Leon Usigbe
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday insisted on the removal of Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, over alleged involvement in a conspiracy to manipulate the outcome of the recent gubernatorial election in the state.
Addressing a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, maintained that Ari’s continued stay in office does not augur well for the supplementary exercise slated for April 15, 2023.
Drawing the attention of Nigerians and the International Community to the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with respect to the re-run election, the PDP spokesman warned of a possible breakdown of Law and Order with Ari’s continued stay in office “despite his alleged complicity in the plots to manipulate the outcome of the Governorship election in the State, even with PDP’s clear lead of 31,299 lawful votes in the election.”
The party spokesman said: “It is provocative and unacceptable that INEC retained Mallam Yunusa Ari to conduct the April 15, 2023 governorship re-run election despite being reportedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State in Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the defeated governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Aisha Binani.
“The continued stay in office of Mallam Yunusa Ari in the face of the widespread outcry by the people of Adamawa State amounts to pushing the people to the wall and daring them to do their worst.
“The PDP dismisses the lame denial of the leaked audio tape by the exposed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner. The basis for recusal by an umpire is the accusation of the likelihood of bias. In this case, apart from the accusation, there is audio evidence against Mallam Yunusa Ari and he cannot by any standard superintend over the Adamawa Governorship re-run election without widespread suspicion of his actions.
“The situation around the embattled INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner is worsened by allegations of similar instructions to Electoral Officers in some other Local Government Areas of the State to manipulate the results of the election.
“Given these grave allegations and evidence of the audio tape already in the public domain, Mallam Yunusa Ari should immediately recuse himself from superintending and/or conducting the re-run governorship election in Adamawa State on April 15, 2023.”
The PDP invited Nigerians to note that INEC relieved the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Sokoto State, Dr Nura Ali over allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the just concluded elections in that State.
It further said: “There is, therefore, no justification for the continuing stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State in the face of these grave allegations except for sinister reasons.
“Nigerians can recall that the Adamawa State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner was also accused of being at the centre of the failed attempt to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State Governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer to declare the defeated APC candidate as the winner; a move that was firmly resisted by the people of Adamawa State.”
The PDP cautioned that the people of Adamawa State will never surrender their mandate to these reprehensible plots to manipulate the outcome of the re-run governorship election in the state.
It further stated: “The continued stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State is heightening tension and is capable of disrupting the peace for which the State is known.
“Mallam Yunusa Ari has become partisan; he has descended into the arena by allegedly taking sides with the APC, a political party in the contest to the extent of directing Electoral Officers to manipulate election results in favour of the APC candidate.”
The PDP, therefore, demanded that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately remove Mallam Yunusa Ari as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State.
“On our part, the PDP restates that it is firmly on the ground in Adamawa State. Our Party and Candidate, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri are in clear lead and we are ready for the re-run election in the 69 Polling Units already announced by the INEC Returning Officer,” he said.
The PDP called on the people of Adamawa State, its teeming members and supporters to remain calm “but very vigilant in resisting the APC and its candidate who are desperate to steal the Adamawa State Governorship mandate for their parochial interests against the Will of the people.”
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