The 2023 gubernatorial elections were held on March 18, 2023. It took place in 28 states across the country, with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announcing various victors in nearly all 36 states.
But in Adamawa and others, the electoral body declared the exercise inconclusive after failing to announce a winner. The final results collated by INEC showed that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scored the highest votes.
He was closely trailed by Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Fintiri defeated Binani with over 31,000 votes. The incumbent governor scored 421,524 votes, while Binani secured 390,275 votes.
But INEC said the cancelled votes were more than the margin of the votes between Fintiri and the first runner-up, Binani. On Saturday, April 15, there will be a re-run in some areas. About 36,935 voters in 69 polling units, PUs, will cast their ballots.
Who carries the day, eventually? Will Governor Fintiri surmount the Binani wave? Is the federal lawmaker going to make history tomorrow? Will she become the first-ever elected Nigerian female Governor?
By now, INEC should have been done with distributing its sensitive election materials. Voters in the affected areas should not be disenfranchised as a result of any potential inaction of electoral officials.
The police and other security agencies cannot afford to disappoint Nigerians. They should adequately protect the entire process and deal with unscrupulous elements planning to destabilize voting and the collation of results.
Ordinarily, Governor Fintiri should not be jittery if his performance in office in the last four years is breathtaking. But why is his party agitated about the likely outcome of the re-rerun? Is it that the ruling platform isn’t confident going into the poll?
The PDP may be afraid that the apple cart will be upseted. The Binani electoral momentum is still sending shivers down its spine. Hence, it clutches every available straw for ‘survival’ or ‘salvation.’
The party had accused some members of the APC, which holds power at the centre, and INEC officials of plotting to manipulate the election. That was during the result collation stage.
Earlier this month, the PDP demanded the removal of the Resident Electoral Officer, REC, in Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa Ari. National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba accused the official of complicity in an alleged plan to rig the poll.
“INEC is stoking a breakdown of law and order with the continued stay in office of Hudu Yunusa Ari as Adamawa State REC in spite of his alleged complicity in the plot to manipulate the outcome of the governorship election, even with PDP’s clear lead of 31,299 lawful votes.
“It is unacceptable that INEC retained Ari to conduct the April 15, 2023 re-run election despite being reportedly caught on tape, directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area in the Hausa language to alter results in favour of the APC candidate, Senator 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.”
Looking at the seeming “desperation” by the PDP and anxiety in the camp of Governor Fintiri ahead of the supplementary exercise, it sure appears that Binani is on the cusp of history.
She is about to achieve the feat that late Senator Aisha Alhassan, aka Mama Taraba, and Dame Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, unfortunately, could not, though coming so close to victory in the 2015 Taraba and 2011 Plateau governorship elections.
Binani has paid her dues as a responsive, consummate, and brilliant federal lawmaker who has championed the course of Adamawa people in the National Assembly, first as a former House of Representatives member and now a Senator.
Many agree that she is seeking to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Land of Beauty not for the lot of herself or cronies. The people of Adamawa are expected to collectively help achieve her dream.
As for the electorate, they are in a joyful mood because they are about to be a part of an epoch. By the time the dust of the guber re-run in their beloved state settles, the drums would be rolled out to celebrate the dawn of a new chapter.
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