The Social Democratic Party in Adamawa State has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to consider disqualifying the governorship candidates of the People’s Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress.
In a statement signed by its guber candidate, Umar Ardo, the party also called on the electoral umpire to cancel the exercise and conduct a fresh one at a later date.
“As evidence to our earlier description of the situation, the Adamawa state governorship election was a ‘naked dance of shame in the market place’. The current imbroglio is testimony to that,” he said.
“Based on various irregularities perpetrated by the PDP and APC candidates during the two sets of governorship election in Adamawa state, the untoward desperations and actions of the PDP and APC candidates, in addition to the excessive vote-buyings observed;
the unlawful declaration of the APC candidate by the Adamawa REC and her instant acceptance speech, both of which proved the existence of an unholy close coalition of the two as revealed in our press conference of Wednesday 15th March;
“The ensuing total confusion created by the two candidates in the election exercises, INEC and the security agencies in the state, all have combined to make a mess of the ensuing fallout in the election results, thereby eroding the credibility and therefore the acceptability of the entire election results in the state. By extension, it will also threaten the credibility of our national electoral process and the integrity of INEC itself as an electoral umpire.
“These are clear illustrations of expensive electoral jokes getting out of hand, capable of marring the entire 2023 national elections if drastic action is not taken by INEC to arrest the situation.
“To this end, therefore, because of the unedifying roles played by the PDP and APC candidates in discrediting the elections and the electoral process as a whole and in bringing to disrepute the integrity of the commission, we call upon INEC to consider approaching the Federal High Court to disqualify the two culprit candidates, cancel the entire process and conduct fresh election for the remaining qualified candidates in the governorship contest.”
Recall that the INEC REC on Sunday stirred controversy when at about 9am he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the APC as winner of the election over the incumbent, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDO.
Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Fintiri.
The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.
According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.
