At the end of the governorship election held on March 18 in Nigeria, one will naturally think the whole drama was over.
Little did Nigerians know that the biggest one is yet to come.
It has never been heard that the results of an election would be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when the entire collation has not finished.
But in Adamawa, an unconstitutional process unfolded, with an official of the INEC declaring election result while results from 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) were yet to be announced.
Drama ensued at the collation centre in Adamawa on Sunday.
People had gathered to collate the result of the the supplementary gubernatorial election in the state held on Saturday, April 15.
However, while results from 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) were yet to be announced, a winner was announced.
Hudu Yunusa-Ari the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) was the ‘courageous’ one that usurped power to announce the results.
Not only did he announce the result without the results from the remaining 11 LGAs, he also did it in the absence of the state’s returning officer, Mele Lamido.
However, this act has been condemned by many including the INEC.
The electoral umpire has declared Ari’s declaration “null, void, and of no effect”.
Afterwards, the commission suspended the collation of results and invited the REC to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
CDD’s Request
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has reacted to Binani’s declaration.
The CDD asks INEC to “sanction all erring officials who carried out the illegal” declaration of Aisha Binani.
The CDD says “the laws and procedures guiding Nigeria’s elections are such that only the returning officer can make such a declaration, which makes this recent announcement null and void”.
See: Quick Facts About Aisha Binani, Adamawa’s Female Governor-Elect
Therefore, the CDD calls on INEC to “immediately exercise its powers by continuing the collation process that was scheduled to resume today”.
Furthermore, the centre urges INEC to “sanction all erring officials who carried out this illegal announcement and ensure that results are publicly available to all citizens”.
“It is important that laid down processes are adhered to avoid a breakdown of law and order in a heightened political environment,” CDD says.
Also, CDD says it will release a statement on the conduct of the elections later today.
