By Abiola Olawale
The dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has publicly revealed that he was pressured to declare Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP)as the winner of the 2023 Adamawa State governorship election.
Yunusa-Ari, who addressed a press conference on Saturday claimed that he had evidence suggesting that Aishatu Dahiru Binani, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, should have rightfully won the election.
He alleged that both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Election Tribunal ignored this evidence and that he and other officials faced threats to their lives if they did not declare Fintiri the winner.
The claims have begun to cause controversies as Yunusa-Ari also accused INEC’s ICT head in Adamawa, Bala Aji, of compromising the election process by allegedly handing over sensitive election documents to Fintiri.
Yunusa-Ari also alleged that Aji distributed BVAS machines and bribed INEC staff with foreign currency on election day, calling it a blatant abuse of office.
He asserted: “The dismissal is not my problem. The civil service is governed by civil service rules, procedures, and services.
“In law, there is what we call the golden rule of natural justice which says that you must be heard. Even God will never punish anybody without sending the messages, the prophets, and the scriptures.
“The refusal of INEC to collect my letters and then the tribunal said they are not using my evidence. Even as an ordinary judge, what do you say to that?
“They should have acted immediately, but my report was swept under the carpet. This is one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.”
It would be recalled that INEC dismissed Yunusa-Ari on April 17, 2023, after unilaterally declaring Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship rerun election while collation was still in progress.
His announcement was widely condemned as illegal, prompting the INEC to swiftly nullify the declaration.
