Confusion As Unprecedented Drama Trails Declaration Of Adamawa Supplementary Governorship Election Result

Drama ensued yesterday in Adamawa as the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Yunusa Ari, declared the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the supplementary governorship election, Aisha Dahiru, aka Binani, winner of the election, even when he didn’t have the power to do so.

Though the collation of results was scheduled to start at 11 am yesterday, with the result to be declared by the Returning Officer, Mele Lamido, the REC had gone ahead to declare the APC candidate winner at 9 am. Only the Returning Officer has the constitutional power to declare the winner.

Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced – and Binani was trailing Ahmadu Fintiri, the incumbent governor and PDP candidate.

The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11 am on Sunday.

Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.

Lamido is empowered by law to declare the winner of the election, and not the REC, Yunusa Ari.