The electoral battle between Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and his closest rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishat Dahiru (Binani) became the top news of the week when the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari declared winner of the supplementary poll without figure on Sunday.
The REC on Sunday morning without a figure declared Binani the winner of the supplementary elections.
The process which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), swiftly declared as “null, void and of no effect”.
The INEC, however, on Tuesday wrote the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba Alkali to investigate its erring Resident Electoral Commissioner after his suspension.
The electoral umpire also requested the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha to review the appointment of the REC over his “unwholesome behaviour”.
Fintiri was later declared winner after a supplementary election held on Saturday, April 15, and having polled 430,861 to defeat his closest rival and Aishat Binani who scored 396,788 votes.
I didn’t give out N2bn for declaration of results – Binani
Binani had denied allegations that she gave a sum of N2 billion as a bribe to some staff of INEC to declare her as Governor-elect.
According to her, an officer of the Department of State Services made the “very bizarre, unfounded wild allegations” against her.
Binani in a statement on Tuesday said “I NEVER DID, I would never do such.
This said statement was allegedly made when the officer was being tortured at gunpoint by the agents of the Adamawa State Governor and the Government House police team alongside their political thugs.
Buhari, Tinubu, PDP react
President Muhammadu Buhari, however, approved the immediate suspension of Adamawa REC pending the completion of investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the conduct and actions of the REC during the Supplementary election in the state.
Buhari equally directed the immediate investigation and prosecution, if found liable of the REC, Yunusa Ari, by the IGP.
In the same vein, President-elect, Bola Tinubu, called on the Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the controversial announcement of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani as the winner of the election.
Tinubu in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja congratulated the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri who won a fresh mandate in the North East state, while he equally appealed to the aggrieved to seek redress in a peaceful manner.
He further urged all those elected to brace up to serve Nigerians.
Also, the opposition party, PDP in its reaction said “Adamawa State REC is a reckless, inexcusable and unpardonable assault on our democracy, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC guidelines and the manifest will of the people of Adamawa state, which they expressed in voting en masse for the PDP.”
The acting National Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Iliya Damagum asserted that the action of Mallam Yunusa-Ari, which he described as subversive conduct, must not go unpunished.
He has therefore restated the call of the party for his immediate arrest and prosecution for his attempt to award victory to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Adamawa State gubernatorial election even though the collation of results had not been concluded.
Buhari asks Nigerians for forgiveness
With barely 38 days to the end of his eight-year two tenures, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday asked for forgiveness from those his actions may have hurt during the administration.
Speaking inside the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Abuja, during a Sallah homage paid to him by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents led by the Minister, Mohammed Bello, he also thanked Nigerians for tolerating him.
The President, who said he was counting days, praised democracy as the best form of government, saying that without it, he could not have become president after already serving as military head of state given the side of the country he hails from.
Court slams N5bn damages against Buhari, reinstates Ararume to NNPCL
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, awarded N5 billion as damages against President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for illegal removal of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, restored Ararume as the non-executive Chairman of NNPCL.
Recall that President Buhari sacked Ararume January 17, 2023.
36-year-old Rep-elect dies
Ismaila Maihanci, House of Representatives member-elect for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State, is dead.
He died at the age of 36.
Maihanci, who won the election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly died in the early hours of Saturday.
He would be laid to rest later in the day, according to Islamic rites.
Born on October 22 1986, the politician and businessman served as a Special Adviser to Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku.
Maihanci had also served as the Secretary of PDP in Taraba State.
