BREAKING: INEC Declares PDP’s Fintiri Winner of Adamawa Governorship Election

Patrick OdeyApril 18, 2023

2 minutes read

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as the winner of the Adamawa Governorship election.

Collation of Officer of the State, Mele Lamido announced Fintiri winner after he defeated Aishatu Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Fintiri polled 430,861 to defeat the main opponent Aishatu Dahiru who scored 396,788 votes.

Aishatu, popularly known as Binani was earlier illegally announced winner by the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.

Breakdown of the final figures below:

AA = 643

ADC = 3024

ADP = 2174

APC = 396,788

APGA = 892

APM = 606

APP = 286

LP=2732

NNPP= 4852

NRM =1272

PDP =430,861

PRP= 1188

SDP= 6870

YPP =1431

ZLP =200

Recall that INEC reopened the collation centre for the Adamawa State governorship supplementary election.

The collation exercise in the state was stopped on Sunday after, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as ‘Binani’ the winner of the election.

Newsflash Nigeria reported on Monday that Ari was warned to stay away from the office.

Newsflash Nigeria, on Tuesday, reports that INEC says it will write the Inspector General of Police, Baba Ahmed, to investigate and prosecute the REC.

The commission reached the decision on Tuesday at the technical meeting attended by its national commissioners in Abuja.

INEC also decided to write the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to brief President Muhammadu Buhari about the action of the REC.

Meanwhile, exactly one month after the March 18 governorship elections, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the winner of what some might describe as a drama-filled supplementary election in Adamawa State.

In last Saturday’s rerun, Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 9,337 votes besting Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes.

At the end of the entire exercise, Fintiri polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani’s 398,788 votes.

The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at 5:49 pm on Tuesday was preceded by a series of political intrigues.

With last month’s governorship election declared inconclusive by INEC, a supplementary election was scheduled for last Saturday.

However, on Sunday, as collation was underway, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, prematurely declared Binani as the winner, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers only the returning officer to announce the result and declare the winner of an election at the state collation centre in the case of the election of a governor of a state.

Incidentally, results had been declared for only 10 of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) in the supplementary poll, which indicated Fintiri was leading, having won in seven LGAs next to Binani’s three.

The declaration by Ari was quickly followed by an acceptance speech by the APC candidate.

In response, irate opposition members took their anger out on an INEC national commissioner, whom they mistook for the REC, assaulting him.

“A former Vice Chancellor of Usman Dan Fodio University, a senior citizen was stripped naked and dragged. This commission will not allow that to stand,” INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Festus Okoye said in a strongly worded statement.

He also urged the security agencies to unmask those behind the that particular act.

“They must be arrested, they must be investigated and they must be prosecuted. A national commissioner cannot be treated as if he or she is a common criminal,” he said.