APC reacts, as PDP, Atiku hail Fintiri, Adamawa people for ‘resisting coupists and enemies of democracy’

Former Vice President and an indigene of Adamawa State, Atiku Abubakar, has hailed Governor Ahmadu Fintiri on his ‘deserved reelection,’ just as he thanked the ‘people of Adamawa and men and women of goodwill for staying the course in resisting coupists and enemies of democracy from having their way.’

Atiku, however, noted that the PDP still has ‘one more major mandate to reclaim,’ referring to petition filed by the party and his legal team before the Presidential Elections Petitions Court in Abuja challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu as president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The now suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa had, last Sunday, declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator (Mrs) Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru as winner and governor-elect, even as collation in about 10 of the 20 local government areas of the state was still ongoing.

INEC, Monday, annulled and voided the declaration by its REC, and suspended further collation of results, while stating that it was the duty of the Returning Officer in the state to declare election data, just as it subsequently, suspended Ari, and on Tuesday, invited the Inspector General of Police to prosecute the rogue official.

“Congratulations, Gov Ahmadu Fintiri, on your deserved reelection as governor of Adamawa State. “Thank you to the people of Adamawa and men and women of goodwill for staying the course in resisting coupists and enemies of democracy from having their way.

“The lesson from this exercise and others is the need for Nigerians to be vigilant and never give in to anti-democratic forces whose objective is to snatch, run with and undermine the mandate of the people as freely expressed in their votes.

“By the way, it is not yet uhuru as we still have one more major mandate to reclaim, and together as ONE, we shall accomplish the task for the good of our country and its people.

“By the way, it is not yet uhuru as we still have one more major mandate to reclaim, and together as ONE, we shall accomplish the task for the good of our country and its people,” Atiku wrote.

Similarly, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, in a statement via its Twitter handle (@OfficialPDPNig)while announced Fintiri as winner also congratulated ‘the people of Adamawa State and the entire PDP family.’

“Finally, the @inecnigeria has declared the @OfficialPDPNig Governorship Candidate in the March 18, 2023 Election, @GovernorAUF, as winner of the Guber Election.

“The PDP Candidate, Rt Hon Ahmadu Fintiri, scored a total of 430, 861 votes to defeat his closest rival, the @OfficialAPCNg Candidate, Aisha Binani, who scored 398,788 votes.

“Congratulations to him, the people of Adamawa State and the entire PDP family. PDP official.”

However, reacting to the official declaration of Governor Fintiri as winner of the Adamawa governorship election, Tuesday, spokespersons of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation expressed mixed opinions following the defeat of their party’s candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani).

While Deputy Director of New Media for Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, Adamu Garba, congratulated Fintiri, the spokesperson for the same group, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, called those celebrating the election’s outcome ‘Hypocrites with double standards.’

Garba said: “We have fought hard, we didn’t give up on our party. We are civil, we can clearly differentiate between when we win and when we lose. We obey the law and respect the dignity of the constitution.

“I congratulate Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on his victory in the last supplementary election,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

However, Keyamo differed: “Anytime the opposition wins, whether on the field or in the courts, it is justice! Anytime the ruling party wins, whether on the field or in the courts, it is injustice! Hypocrites with double standards everywhere!”

Earlier, Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the resumed collation of election results in the Adamawa governorship supplementary election, announced the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, as re-elected.

According to INEC, Fintiri, a candidate of the PDP), polled a total of 430,861 to defeat the APC candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, who came second with 398,788 votes.

INEC Returning Officer, Prof Mohammed Mele, Tuesday in Yola, subsequenty returned Fintiri elected, after completing the collation of results of the supplementary election held on Saturday, April 15.

Results of Adamawa Governorship Election:

Registered Voters: 2196566

Accredited Voters: 87387

AA 643

ADC 3024

APP 2174

APC 398788

APGA 892

APM 606

ADP 286

LP 2732

NNPP 4852

NRM 1272

PDP 430861

PRP 1188

SDP 6870

YPP 1431

ZLO 200

VALID VOTES: 853819

REJECTED VOTES: 15287

TOTAL VOTES: 869106.

Results of the supplementary election:

Total Registered Voters: 42929

Accredited Voters: 16423

PDP: 9337

APC: 6513

Valid Votes: 15999

Rejected Votes: 399

Total Votes: 16398