Adamawa: ‘Yunusa, Yakubu committed the same offence and deserve the same punishment,’ as Obi-Datti, Atiku camps tackle INEC

In what appears a tacit endorsement of the position of the media camp of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar on the conduct of the now suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, during the just-concluded supplementary election in the state, the Labour Party, Tuesday, also doubled down on the commission, positing that both the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the suspended staff ‘committed the same offence and deserve the same punishment.’

According to the media team of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his vice, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, both INEC chiefs committed the same offence, ‘Yakubu’s punishment being more.’

Reacting to the outcome of the just-concluded governorship supplementary election in Adamawa, last Saturday, April 15, which saw the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri re-elected for a second term in office after controversies of multiple results collation postponement, illegal declaration of a candidate as winner and governor-elect, the LP media camp said Yunusa-Ari ‘simply went straight and performed the action for which he was paid for.’

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

However, responding to the what Atiku had labeled as ‘a coup’ 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 investigate and prosecute the rogue official.

Further rising from its meeting of commissioners, Tuesday, INEC barred the Yunusa-Ari from its offices in Adamawa and Abuja, while also disclosing that it had written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to investigate and prosecute the rogue official.

INEC also said, Tuesday, that it has written the Inspector-General Baba to prosecute its REC Ari for illegally declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Binani as winner.

A statement issued by INEC, Tuesday, via its Twitter handle (@inecnigeria) further said it had asked the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, to address the ‘unwholesome behaviour of the REC for further action.’

“At its meeting today, 18th April 2023, the Commission discussed matters arising from the Adamawa Governorship election and decided to: 1. Write to the Inspector-General of Police for the immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari; 2. Request the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to draw the attention of the appointing authority to the unwholesome behaviour of the REC for further action; and 3. The collation process shall resume at a time to be determined by the Returning Officer.

“Detailed official statement will follow shortly,” the statement read.

In a related development, the IGP, Tuesday, ordered the pull out of the Adamawa Police Commissioner, Mohammed Barde from the state ‘with immediate effect.’

A confirmation issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Tuesday, disclosed that following Barde’s suspension, the IGP Baba has also directed the immediate redeployment of the Gombe State police commissioner, Etim Equa to Adamawa.

The suspension of CP Barde is said to be connected with the role the police chief allegedly played in the illegal declaration of Senator Dahiru (Binani), last Sunday, as governor-elect in the Adamawa governorship supplementary elections, even while results were still being collated.

Barde had accompanied the INEC REC Ari to the Adamawa State Governorship Election Collation Centre, and sat beside the embattled INEC chief while the latter declared Senator Dahiru as winner, last Sunday, in Yola

Police spokesperson, Adejobi, while addressing newsmen, Tuesday at the Force Headquarters, in Abuja, said the IGP is committed to a free and fair process.

“The IGP has given directive that the commissioner of police on election security in Adamawa State, CP Barde should pull out of Adamawa State and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Gombe State, CP Etim Equa to proceed to Adamawa immediately, to go and supervise election and provide necessary information and ensure that the process is a success,” the police spokesperson said.

However, in a twist, Adejobi disclosed at the same press briefing, Tuesday, that the IGP was yet to receive any letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking the probe and prosecution of its embattled REC in Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa Ari.

Earlier, Monday, the Media Camp of Atiku, presidential candidate of the PDP, declared that the embattled Adamawa REC Yunusa-Ari, was only acting out the script written by the National Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who disclosed this Monday, further posited that purported suspension of the Adamawa REC without his arrest and prosecution ‘was merely a slap in the wrist.’

According to Shaibu, the national leadership of INEC could not pretend to be unaware of the many allegations hanging on the neck of the Adamawa REC, adding that the suspension of the Adamawa REC without his arrest and prosecution was merely a slap in the wrist.

“It is crystal clear even to the blind that the Adamawa REC learnt well from the INEC Chairman. INEC as an organization, from the top to the bottom is akin to Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. As a matter of fact, the baby goat learns to eat grass by diligently watching the mama devour the lush grass around them.

“Over a month ago, Sahara Reporters published an audio clip where the Adamawa REC was heard directing an election official, Hammajam Mohammed, to rig the governorship election in favour of Binani.

“In the leaked audio, Yunusa told Mohammed to do everything humanly possible to make Binani win. He told the electoral official that he was instructed by a higher authority to make Binani win. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri complained severally about the compromised REC but INEC did nothing about it.

“Despite having over one month to prepare for this supplementary poll, INEC retained this compromised REC who went ahead to undermine the election once more. From all that has happened, it is obvious that Yunusa-Ari was acting on orders from above and that is why Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s warnings were ignored.

“This carefully orchestrated action is a reflection of the electoral heist of February 25, 2023 when the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, decided to announce Bola Tinubu of the APC as winner despite the many irregularities and complaints from several opposition parties. Indeed, Yunusa-Ari acted like his father and boss, Mahmood Yakubu,” Shaibu said.

He further noted that the Adamawa fiasco came as no surprise since, according to him, INEC had always been in bed with Binani and had admitted in a statement that it awarded a contract to one of her companies.

“INEC had in a statement by National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, admitted to awarding a sensitive contract to the Binani Printing Press Limited, a firm owned by the APC governorship candidate.

“In the statement, Okoye had claimed that the company was awarded the contract as a way of stimulating the economy and encouraging Nigerian enterprise. It is obvious that Binani and INEC are in bed together,” Atiku’s aide said.

“This is a man who promised over and over again to upload the results of elections in real-time unto the INEC’s portal and failed to do so yet he lacks the decency to apologise to over 200 million people. Nearly two months after that shambolic election, all the results have yet to be uploaded.

“Results from Rivers State even show that Tinubu did not even win in that state. Rather than suspend the announcement of results, Mr Yakubu decided to announce Tinubu as the winner. One wonders how such a man sleeps at night.” 

Meanwhile, weighing in on the conduct of the INEC senior officials in the just-concluded Adamawa supplementary elections, spokesperson of the Labour Party Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign, Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, said that while the Adamawa REC did not promise anyone anything or waste anybody’s time or money, the INEC Chairman promised that BVAS and electronically uploaded and transmitted results were mandatory for 2023 elections but failed to fulfill his promises.

Reacting to Yunusa’s declaration of Binani as winner of the governorship poll while collation was yet to be concluded, last Sunday, the LP chieftain said ‘INEC chairman wasted Nigerians’ time and money amounting to about N400 billion and still declared his preferred candidate at the dead of the night without genuine results, unverified and unconfirmed by BVAS.’

“Yunusa is better than Yakubu. The Adamawa State REC didn’t promise anyone anything. He did not waste anybody’s time or money, not even an office paper. He came in broad daylight with a handwritten paper and unpretentiously declared a winner without results and is man enough to face the consequences of his criminal action.

“He simply went straight and performed the action for which he was paid for. Yakubu made promises that BVAS and electronically uploaded and transmitted results were mandatory for 2023 elections.

“He failed. He wasted our time and about N400 billion and still declared his preferred candidate at the dead of the night without genuine results, unverified and unconfirmed by BVAS, that he could not produce on demand, even with a court order, until BVAS was reconfigured, only to present at the Election.

“Tribunal that BVAS and electronically transmitted results are no longer mandatory. Both of them committed the same offence and deserve the same punishment, with Yakubu’s punishment being more. What do you think?” the Obi-Datti spokesperson said.