AUSTIN AJAYI writes on the palpable tension that gripped most residents of Adamawa State following the action of the suspended Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in the state, Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari, to declare the result of the governorship poll while the collation of results had not been concluded, coupled with issues that undermined the Electoral Act 2022.
Before the anti-climax took place on Tuesday evening, Adamawa State had hanged precariously on the cliffhanger. There was pervasive uneasy calm with the main stakeholders miffed by what they perceive as an avoidable controversy that trailed the outcome of the governorship election after the conduct of a supplementary election last Saturday. While the state government and other concerned senior citizens of the state made spirited efforts to lower the heightened political temperature, events in the last 72 hours added to the twists and turns in what some major stakeholders in the North-East state described as an artificially induced crisis.
At the resumption of collation of the election result, on Tuesday, after it was suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, the returning officer for the election, Professor Mohammed Mele of Modibbo Adama University declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umaru Fintiri the winner of the election. Fintiri was declared winner having polled 430,861 votes to defeat Aisha Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 398,788 votes.
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the March 18 election in the state inconclusive. Indeed, it took over 48 hours for the officials to arrive at the decision by invoking the margin of lead principle as stipulated in Section 62 of the Electoral Act 2022. It states that if the number of registered voters in cancelled polling units is greater than the margin between the top two candidates, the election should be re-done in the affected polling units. The margin between Governor Umaru Fintiri and Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani), was more than 30,000 votes. But the number of registered voters in the affected 61 polling units that led to the election being declared inconclusive by INEC is little above 37,000 votes. Governor Ahamdu Finitiri had gone into the April 15 supplementary election with a leading marginal of 31,249 votes while the total number of votes expected from the 69 polling units was about 37, 706 votes if INEC recorded a 100 percent voter turnout.
That was the scenario that existed as the prospective voters geared up to exercise their franchise on April 18 in the supplementary election. With the margin of votes garnered in the election proper, the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was upbeat about securing more votes to achieve a landslide victory. Conversely, the rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was confident of creating a possible upset. Notwithstanding, there were other serious points of disagreements between the two parties as the countdown to the supplementary poll continued. There were accusations and counter-accusations bothering on an alleged plan to compromise due process and induce electoral officials in respect of the election held in the Fufore local government area. There were questions about the neutrality of some officials of INEC. In fact, the altercations between the camps led to PDP national leadership demanding the removal of the state Resident Electoral commissioner (REC), Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari. According to the spokesman of PDP, Debo Ologunaoba, the continuous stay of Yunusa-Ari as REC in Adamawa would not guarantee a level-playing field. A similar demand came from the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC). Its chairman, Mr Bello Babajo, said: “If the allegation raised against the REC is anything to go by, then allowing him to be in charge in the April 15 supplementary election will cause serious damage and setback to the political atmosphere in the state.”
Core issues
Ahead of the April 15 supplementary election in Adamawa state, stakeholders called on the residents to remain calm. One of the critical stakeholders, was Lieutenant Commander Ibrahim Baba-Inna (retd), candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) had called on Christians and Muslims in the state to pray for a peaceful conclusion of the election, stressing: “There is need for every individual to place Adamawa State first before any party interests. I urge all parties to play politics with decorum and a strict observation of the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility of the supplementary elections.”
Beyond the issue of compromise was the suspicion that some forces were acting a script to influence the election in favour of the interest of a particular political hegemony. Some main actors involved in the ongoing power struggle were thus regarded as acting the said script. A related factor is the perceived role of some state apparati in the intense scheming and political game in Adamawa. According to observers and prominent indigenes of Adamawa, the trend was discernible in the dereliction of duty and contempt for the law. It was against this background that a miffed Governor Fintri, in a state broadcast on Sunday, vehemently condemned the declaration made by Adamawa REC. He declared: “We all woke up to an illegal announcement by merchants of anarchy headed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner – Mallam Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who since the beginning of this election, is bent on pushing our collective patience to its limit. The action of the REC is no doubt provocative, but in this situation, I appeal for calm as always. I assure you that, as your leader, I will ensure nobody thwarts your democratic rights”
However, he believed the prompt action taken by INEC headquarters in Abuja constituted a soothing balm. In his words, “independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has demonstrated its umpire status by first distancing itself from the act of the REC and assured that the right thing will be done.” He also lauded the Returning Officer for the election, Professor Mele Kari for ‘his resilience and resolve not only for you to exercise your democratic rights but to also protect it.”
It is no longer news that Adamawa state is in the front burner in the political history of Nigeria and is now a reference point in the democratic process. INEC deployed ways to douse the tension after Yunusa Ari had declared the APC candidate winner when collation of the supplementary election was not completed. The declaration did not only throw the state into confusion, there were signs of a trying moment in the coming days. More so, that APC candidate had decided to go to court to stop INEC from completing the election process. Individuals, groups and institutions had to lend their voices to PDP supporters who had taken to the street protesting the non-completion of the supplementary election, giving INEC 78 hours ultimatum to complete the process. Similarly, the forum of accredited observers, which comprises five different groups in a press conference, condemned the action of the REC, calling on INEC to take necessary action to complete the election. The APC supporters had initially celebrated a so-called victory to provoke the PDP supporters. The APC chairman, in Adamawae, Mr. Tadawus Samila in an interview, had said the mandate would be defended. On his part, the chairman of PDP in the state, Mr Aliyu Shuhu, in a telephone interview, condemned the action of Adamawa REC. He commended INEC for its quick reaction in calming frayed nerves. He urged the party and its supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
Outrage
The adrenalin had risen in most residents of the state in the last few days. This was because of the delay by INEC in completing the process of collating the results of the supplementary election days after the exercise held. The bottled-up emotions flared on Monday with people embarking on a peaceful march on the major streets of the state capital, Yola. They had joined members of the state chapter of the PDP, who besieged the state INEC office to demand the commission complete the collation of results for the election. The anger that followed the declaration of Binani by REC as the winner of the election, while the collation of results had not been concluded, was widespread as notable pro-democracy organizations also asked INEC to relieve Yunusa-Ari of his position, as well as embarking on measures to restore the integrity of the commission. For instance, Yiaga Africa called on INEC to suspend Yunusa-Ari for allegedly undermining the provisions of the electoral act and other extant laws guiding the conduct of elections in the country. They declared: “We’ve received reports of an illegal declaration of results by the @inecnigeria REC for #Adamawa in violation of S 64 & 65 Electoral Act 2022 &Part 3, INEC guidelines which vets the power to declare results solely on a returning officer appointed by INEC. We call on @inecnigeria to nullify the illegal declaration, suspend the REC for Adamawa State and take urgent actions to protect the integrity of the process.” On its part, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in a statement on its twitter handle, condemned the action of Adamawa REC. PDP’s agent at the collation centre and former Minister of Health, Dr. Idi Hong equally demanded for the arrest of Yunusa-Ari for causing a needless controversy and exercising the power outside his mandate under the law.
For the incumbent Governor Fintiri, it is another tough walk to victory. With the INEC eventually declaring him winner of the election, he has become the proverbial cat with nine lives. He can heave a sigh of relief even if the APC and its candidates resolve to press ahead with litigation on the Adamawa poll. The action of INEC has diffused tension and fear that the fate of the governor hangs in the balance. According to some observers, with the IGP re-deploying the Commissioner of Police, Adamawa Police Command, the INEC making recommendations to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, some more persons may face the music over the Adamawa election saga.
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