Adamawa Governorship Poll Mess: Heads To Roll; Ari, INEC REC, Barde, CP, Removed  

By Suleiman UMaru

 The last may not have been heard about the Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration and Presidential Candidate of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2023, and supplementary governorship elections mess

This is because the election has claimed the first two casualties, Yunusa Ari, a Lawyer and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state and Mohammed Barde, the state Commissioner of Police and more are to go.

Many believe that in the alleged Conspiracy between the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, and some security agencies personnel in the state with the active Collaboration of officials of the Electoral umpire, particular, Ari, the state REC, who political Observers had said  have dented the image of the Commission badly that it is now looking for cover. Indeed, the Commission has have never had it so badly since 1999.   

Mahmud Yakubu, a Professor and Chairman, of the Commission, who fears that the international Community would now believe the news making rounds that Nigerian elections are never ‘’free, fair and transparent as votes are allocated to the highest bidder’’ may have applied the sledge hammer on the Adamawa REC, who was caught in the Act to show that it can bark and bite, described as a smokescreen by the Opposition parties.

The Adamawa REC, may have known that Senator Aisha Binani Dahiru, the APC, governorship Candidate in the state, and her sponsors had landed him into trouble when he was abandoned by the Leadership of the Commission to face the trouble alone.

Given that the INEC National Commissioners were not ready tolerate the rot from the Adamawa state  REC,  Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the Secretary to the Commission, at the  instance of the Chairman,  was said to have conveyed  the Management’s decision  to him ‘’to stay away  from the Commission’s office in Yola,  the state  Capital,  with  immediate until further notice’’.

Ari: Adamawa REC, Removed

 The State INEC Administrative Secretary was said to have been directed ‘’to take full charge’’ of its activities. The Commission Leadership may have made matters worse for the former Adamawa REC, as they were said declared as’’ null and void’’  to his unilateral declaration of Hajia Dhiru, the APC, governorship Candidate as the winner of the Adamawa election  even before  the collation  of results of  the supplementary  poll ended.

. The Commission Leadership was emphatic that ‘’ the announcement was of no effect’’.  The INEC Chairman and his National Commissioners may have taken advantage of their recent meeting over the Adamawa governorship election to read the riot Act to other RECs to avoid meddling in elections which is giving the Commission a bad image.

Political analysts believe that if Ari had succeeded in his plan to install the APC Governorship Candidate in Adamawa state supplementary election, it would have been easy for INEC RECs in Bayelsa and Kogi where governorship is coming up in November 11, 2023 to do same. The action of  Ari, the Adamawa former REC, according to critics clearly shows how INEC, officials and APC, have been manipulating and allocating votes in Nigeria elections.

 Note that in less than 24, hours after the INEC helmsman and the National Commissioners took the decision to suspend the Adamawa REC, who, many believe has been in the good book of Prof. Yakubu, since 2019, despite the weighty allegations of elections manipulation in the state by the Opposition, PDP, the INEC, Chairman, who has been rubbed with mud was said to have held a closed door meeting with the National Commissioners over the Adamawa Supplementary governorship election.

The INEC Chairman and the National Commissioners may have been forced to meet following the restiveness in the state over INEC’s REC, declaration of Senator Dahiru, as the winner of the state Supplementary governorship election.

Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, was said to have ordered Etim Equa,  the CP, in charge of Gombe, a north eastern state to proceed  to Adamawa state to handle the election security in the state with the removal of Barde, the state CP.

 The no nonsense IGP, who has been asked  by the Electoral Commission  ‘’to probe and  prosecute Ari, the Adamawa REC,  may have taken the decision to remove the Adamawa state CP, because the people  , have lost confidence on the police Chief  and  his commitment  ‘’to a free  , fair and transparent election process’’.

Until the removal of the Key actors in the Adamawa state governor election by their respective Authorities,  the Leadership of the PDP,   has   urged Prof. Yakubu, the INEC, Chairman, to hand over  Prof. Laminu Meleh, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, of University of Maiduguri, and the Returning officer of the Adamawa state supplementary election to the police  for prosecution Umar Damagun, the acting Chairman of the PDP, acting National Chairman had described the Adamawa REC’s action as ‘’civilian Coup’’ and in ‘’contradiction to the Constitution’’.

Even  YIAGA African, an election Observer Team , from South Africa, during the Adamawa  state supplementary governorship election   may have expressed shock at the action of the Adamawa  INEC REC  that  the team has called  for the immediate removal  of the North eastern state Adamawa INEC, REC, who has become a bad advertisement to the Commission.  But not for the decision taken by the IGP, the Barde, the Adamawa, CP, the state would have been another wild-wild west in the ‘50s.

Protest In Yola, Adamawa State Capital Over Ari, Declaration Of Hajia Dahiru As Winner Of The State Governorship Supplementary Election

 On Tuesday, April, 18, 2023, barely one month after the Supplementary governorship election in the state,  the aggrieved PDP supporters who believe that their Candidate, Ahmadu Fintri, who incidentally is the incumbent governor, seeking a re-election bid has been robbed of victory  by the ruling APC, were said to have resumed their demonstration, insisting that they will not stop  until INEC, Chairman, who is used to turning deaf ear on such issues do the right thing .

An eye witness account disclosed   the Tuesday’s protest was dominated by women carrying placards demanding that the results of the Supplementary governorship election   been rewritten as it has not been concluded before the REC, announced Hajia Dahiru of the APC, as the winner.

 They see it as a way to humiliate Atiku, the PDP, Presidential Candidate for the 2023 elections and their hero as well as giving room to Nyensom Wike, governor of Rivers state room, to further mock the Turaki of Adamawa, that he could not deliver his state to the PDP as he is mocking Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the former Chairman of the party , whom he had described as  a Liability and not Asset’’.

The Monday, April 17,  protesters, in the state were said to have been  made up of men, women and Youths, in their thousands , who had trooped  out to the INEC , office, in Yola, the state Capital, shouting on  Prof. Yakubu, the INEC Chairman and the  National Commissioners ‘’to respect the mandate of the people’’.

The INEC Chairman and his National Commissioners, may have read the handwriting on the wall that if the mandate of the people are not respected, the Adamawa election, may throw the country into crisis, and strengthen the resolve of the Opposition LP, Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Atiku, his PDP, Counterpart , to pursue their  case of alleged stolen mandate at the February 25, 2023, general election, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal,, PEPT, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,  FCT.

This  may have informed why  exactly one month after the, supplementary governorship election in the Atiku home state,  INEC, has no option but  to declare  Fintri,  of the PDP, Candidate and the incumbent governor of Adamawa state  as the winner of the  election. The Commission had said that the PDP Candidate polled 9,337 votes while his closest rival Hajia Dairu of the APC, garnered 6,513 votes.  

Fintri Of PDP, Finally Declared Winner Of Adamawa Supplementary Governorship Election By INEC

An elated Atiku,  was said to have lauded  Fintri’s re-election  as the governor of Adamawa state , describing it  ‘’a  win  for democracy’’.The PDP, Presidential Candidate for the 2023, election , who could not hide his feelings had said  that the triumph has proved that  ‘’good can  overcome bad’’, urging Nigerians to be vigilant  and never give  in  to anti-democratic  forces  whose objective  is ‘’to snatch , run and undermine  the mandate of the people as freely expressed in their votes’’. He may have alluded to to the APC, under the Chairmanship of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who incidentally was a former governor of Nasarawa state.

In a related development,  Usman Alkali Baba, the Yobe state born Inspector General of Police, IGP,  who has been  to investigate the Adamawa state Supplementary governorship election may have aken a cue from the INEC Chairman  as he  was said to have ordered  the removal of Mohammed Barde, the Adamawa state Commissioner of Police, CP, with immediate effect.

Despite the celebrations in Adamawa state over the declaration of  Fintri, the PDP, Candidate a the governor-elect of Adamawa state,by INEC, former Vice President Atiku,  had said that  ‘’it is yet Uhuru’’, noting  that the country  still have one  more major  mandate to reclaim  as freely expressed in the people’s votes on the February 25, 2023, Presidential election where INEC , has declared  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC, Candidate  and a  former governor of Lagos state  as the winner.   

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *