Announcing that Ari’s pronouncement was unlawful and an usurpation of the collation and returning officer’s authority, INEC promptly summoned Ari to Abuja.
The summon now leaves Nigerians waiting for the result of the election that is at the moment the most publicised in Nigeria.
To find a solution to the poor outing of the electoral body, all of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) National Commissioners are reportedly meeting behind closed doors.
An Emergency Meeting
They want to decide the next move in the halted Adamawa State governorship election.
The Resident Electoral Commissioners are also present for the conference, which is being held in the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja.
According to reports, the meeting, which looks to be an emergency meeting, takes place just 24 hours after the electoral umpire ordered Hudu Yunusa Ari, its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, to refrain from participating in any of the commission’s activity in the state.
Mr Ari had on Sunday declared Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election at about 9:00am.
His announcement was made while the collation of the results from the state’s supplemental governorship election was still ongoing.
It has been widely reported that Dahiru, who ran against incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said she would win the election at all costs.
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Ari was promptly summoned to Abuja by INEC, which deemed his pronouncement to be unlawful and an abuse of the collation and returning officer’s authority.
Results from 10 LGAs had been announced before the collation procedure was stopped on Saturday night, and Binani was behind Fintiri.
The collation of the results from the other 10 LGAs was scheduled to begin by 11 a.m. on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari declared Binani the victor.
As the Returning Officer for the election, Lamido is the legitimate representative with the authority to announce the winner.
