The Special Assistant on Public Communication to Waziri Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, says the electoral misconduct perpetrated by the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commission, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, is nothing different from what the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, did during the Presidential poll.
Yunusa-Ari had on Sunday announced Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani, the APC governorship candidate in Adamawa, as the winner of the election even while the results were still being collated.
The Adamawa REC has since been suspended by the headquarters of the commission while the announcement of the results has been postponed indefinitely.
Responding in a statement, however, Shaibu said the national leadership of INEC could not pretend to be unaware of the many allegations hanging on the neck of the Adamawa REC.
Shaibu added 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. 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, 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.”
Atiku’s aide said the Adamawa fiasco came as no surprise since INEC had always been in bed with Binani and had even admitted in a statement that it awarded a contract to one of her companies.
He added, “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.
