The drama surrounding the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last governorship election in Adamawa, Sen. Aishatu Binani, doesn’t seem to be ending.
This is because she has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of frustrating her petition at the tribunal.
Binani is at the Adamawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal challenging the declaration of Adamu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the election.
The former senator alleged that INEC disregarded an order of court by attempting to arrest and detain suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Ari.
She claimed that the plan to arrest Mr. Ari was a ploy to prevent him from testifying for her at the ongoing hearing of the tribunal.
Suspended REC
She alleged that INEC wanted the suspended REC apprehended and kept out of circulation to make him unavailable as a witness for her.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Saturday on behalf of Binani, Mustapha Umar-Madawaki, the APC Returning Officer in the March 18 governorship election in the state, and the re- run of April 15, appealed to Nigerians to call INEC to order.
Mr Umar-Madawaki said it was necessary so the APC candidate could reclaim her mandate freely given to her by the people of Adamawa.
The APC returning officer alleged that at the point of collation of results, INEC changed its trained ad- hoc workers with another group of staff.
“To my mind, that is a major reason why INEC is working overtime, trying to prevent the former Adamawa REC from testifying before the tribunal.
”They are afraid of the revelations he would make.
“Their desperation is so brazen that Justice A.O Manji was forced to openly question INEC lawyer on why they are in a hurry to get Ari arrested while there is a clear court order against that.”
