The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmoud Yakubu, to remove the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Ari, ahead of the supplementary election.
Recall that the commission had declared the March 18 state governorship election inconclusive, fixing April 15 as the date for the conduct of a supplementary election in the state.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, accused the REC of complicity in alleged plots to manipulate the outcome of the governorship election in the state.
Mr Ologunagba also alleged that the REC was caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area in Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Aisha Binani.
The PDP spokesperson said: “From credible information available to our party, INEC is stoking a breakdown of law and order in Adamawa State with the continued stay in office of Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari as Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in spite of his alleged complicity in the plots to manipulate the outcome of the governorship election in the state, even with PDP’s clear lead of 31,299 lawful votes in the election.
“It is provocative and unacceptable that INEC retained Mallam Yunusa Ari to conduct the April 15, 2023 governorship re-run election despite being reportedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State in Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the defeated governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Aisha Binani.
“The continued stay in office of Mallam Yunusa Ari in the face of widespread outcry by the people of Adamawa State amounts to pushing the people to the wall and daring them to do their worst.
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“The PDP dismisses the lame denial of the leaked audio tape by the exposed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner. The basis for recusal by an umpire is the accusation of likelihood of bias.”
The party also alleged that Mr Ari gave similar instructions to electoral officers in some other local government areas of the state to manipulate the results of the election. The party therefore asked him to recuse himself from superintending and/or conducting the re-run governorship election.
“In view of these grave allegations and evidence of the audio tape already in the public domain, Mallam Yunusa Ari should immediately recuse himself from superintending and/or conducting the re-run governorship election in Adamawa State on April 15, 2023.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that INEC relieved the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Sokoto State, Dr. Nura Ali over allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the just concluded elections in that State.
“There is therefore no justification for the continued stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State in the face of these grave allegations except for sinister reasons.
“Nigerians can recall that the Adamawa State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner was also accused of being at the center of the failed attempt to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State Governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer declare the defeated APC candidate as the winner; a move that was firmly resisted by the people of Adamawa State.
“The PDP cautions that the people of Adamawa State will never surrender their mandate to these reprehensible plots to manipulate the outcome of the re-run governorship election in the State.
“The continued stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State is heightening tension and is capable of disrupting the peace for which the State is known,” the party warned.
While urging the INEC chairman to immediately remove Mr Ari, the party expressed confidence that it would win the rescheduled election.
