Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned the attempt by the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to award victory to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state governorship election, describing it as a show of shame when the collation process was yet to be concluded.
They maintained in a statement issued on Monday under the aegis of the PDP Governors Forum that what the REC, Mallam Hudu Yunusa-Ari tried to do after the April 18 supplementary Governorship election by purportedly declaring Aisha Binani of the APC as winner was an attempted electoral heist.
The Governor Aminu Tambuwal-led Forum called for the weeding out of corrupt and partisan elements in INEC, blaming their actions on the process of selecting them.
Part of the statement signed by the forum’s director General, Cyril Maduabum, read: “The attempted electoral heist and brigandage perpetrated by the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, is perhaps the lowest point of the 2023 General elections.
“We commend the immediate steps taken by the INEC as an institution to recover its battered image by nullifying the attempted coup and suspending the REC.
“The appropriate Returning Officer, Mele Lamido, should immediately conclude the collation and declare the result.
“One of the most important lessons of this election season is that the integrity of INEC personnel is crucial to free, fair, and credible elections as well as deployment of technology.
“Going forward, there should be a deliberate process of revisiting the appointments of National and Resident Electoral Commissioners to weed out corrupt and extremely partisan officials. It is the partisan method of appointment of these officials that led to national disgrace in Adamawa State.
“Appropriate sanctions, including prosecution of all those involved, especially the former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, should be swiftly commenced to serve as an example to others.
“We enjoin all Nigerians to be on alert as we brace up to emerging threats to our democracy and the struggle for good governance in Nigeria.”
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