The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to announce the results of the controversial Adamawa State governorship election Thursday.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of information and Voter Education Committee, Dr Festus Okoye had stated that INEC will between Tuesday and Wednesday meet as a “Commission” on the matter.
Recall that the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Binani, was controversially declared the winner of the supplementary election on Sunday morning by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa.
Yunusa had walked into the collation center after the supplementary election was suspended on Saturday and announced Binani as the winner of the election.
At the time the REC announced Binani as winner of the poll, results of the supplementary election from 10 LGAs were yet to be collated.
But in a swift reaction, INEC rejected the results declared by the REC.
INEC summoned the REC and Mele Lamido, returning officer in the election, to its headquarters in Abuja.
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It was gathered that the declaration of election results is the responsibility of the returning officer, and not the resident electoral commissioner.
READ ALSO: Adamawa Gov Poll Crisis: INEC bars suspended REC, reveals date to announce result
Asked when the coalition would resume following the REC’s suspension, Okoye said, “the commission” would have to meet first and fix a date for continuation of the exercise.
Okoye stated that most of the national commissioners were deployed to the states to monitor last weekend’s supplementary elections, explaining that they were on their way back to Abuja.
“The commission will have to meet as a Commission to take a decision on that. The National Commissioners were deployed in various states. One was sent to Kebbi, one to Oyo, one to Sokoto, another to Rivers and so on. They are on their way to Abuja. If they get to Abuja tonight (Monday), then the commission may likely meet on Tuesday and decide on the date to continue with the collation,” Okoye said.
Sources at the commission, however, told Vanguard that the electoral umpire does not intend to stretch the process further except “legally necessary”, adding that the collation would be concluded before the week runs out in order to douse tension in the state.
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