- Former Adamawa REC Hudu Yunusa Ari has insisted that APC’s Aisha Dahiru Binani won the 2023 governorship election, claiming he has documentary evidence to support his declaration
- Ari accused INEC and the election tribunal of ignoring evidence of irregularities, alleging that his ICT head compromised the process by handing over election documents to the governor
- While weighing legal action over his dismissal, Ari decried media trials and insisted he never accepted bribes
Former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, has spoken out for the first time since his dismissal.
The embattled official insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 governorship election, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, was the rightful winner.
Ari, who was removed from office following his controversial declaration of Binani as the winner before collation was concluded, maintained that he has sufficient documentary proof to justify his actions.
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As reported by Daily Trust, the former REC claimed he faced intense pressure to announce incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner.
“I made my decision based on electoral guidelines and the facts available to me. There were threats against me and other electoral officials to declare the incumbent governor or risk our safety," he said, holding a copy of the Holy Qur’an.
Adamawa poll: Allegations of electoral misconduct
Ari further alleged that the governorship election was riddled with irregularities and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Election Tribunal of ignoring critical evidence he presented.
“I discovered that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, compromised the process. He handed over about 20,000 election documents to the governor,” he claimed.
He also claimed that security agencies, including the police, had investigated a private residence allegedly linked to the Adamawa state government, where sensitive election materials were found.
“We conducted an investigation alongside the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies. It took time to gain access to the property, and when we did, we found key government officials inside,” he stated.
Ex-INEC REC considers legal action over dismissal
On his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu, Ari said he was still weighing his options on whether to challenge the decision in court, Vanguard reported.
“My dismissal is not my biggest concern, but the damage done to my reputation through the media trial is troubling. I never collected N2 billion from any politician," he lamented.
He defended his role in the electoral process, emphasising that he had successfully overseen the presidential and National Assembly elections in Adamawa state.
The controversy, he said, only emerged during the governorship and state assembly elections, which involved 69 polling units.
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Ari reiterated his commitment to fairness and called on Nigerians to uphold transparency in elections.
Tinubu to sack 3 INEC RECs
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Tinubu formally requested the Senate’s approval to sack three suspended Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from Abia, Adamawa, and Sokoto states.
The request, which was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was read during a plenary session.
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
