SaharaReporters had reported how Hudu Yunusa allegedly directed an election official, Hammajam Mohammed, to rig the governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Officer in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa, be removed ahead of the supplementary poll due to alleged election result manipulation for the All Progress Congress candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, during the March 18 election.
SaharaReporters had reported how Hudu Yunusa allegedly directed an election official, Hammajam Mohammed, to rig the governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani.
In the leaked audio obtained by SaharaReporters, Yunusa told Mohammed to do everything humanly possible to make Binani win. He had told the electoral official that he was instructed by a higher authority to make Binani win.
INEC declared the March 18 governorship election in the state inclusive, with the PDP leading with approximately 31,000 votes.
The supplementary election in the state has been scheduled for April 15 by the electoral body.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba accused the REC of complicity in alleged plots to manipulate the outcome of the state's governorship election.
He claimed that Yunusa's continued tenure as governor and the INEC are fueling a breakdown in law and order in Adamawa State.
The statement reads: “From credible information available to our Party, INEC is stoking a breakdown of Law and Order in Adamawa State with the continued stay in office of Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari as Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in spite of his alleged complicity in the plots to manipulate the outcome of the Governorship election in the State, even with PDP’s clear lead of 31,299 lawful votes in the election.
“It is provocative and unacceptable that INEC retained Mallam Yunusa Ari to conduct the April 15, 2023 governorship re-run election despite being reportedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State in Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the defeated governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Aisha Binani.
“The continued stay in office of Mallam Yunusa Ari in the face of widespread outcry by the people of Adamawa State amounts to pushing the people to the wall and daring them to do their worst.
“The PDP dismisses the lame denial of the leaked audio tape by the exposed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner. The basis for recusal by an umpire is the accusation of likelihood of bias.
“There is therefore no justification for the continuing stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State in the face of these grave allegations except for sinister reasons.
“Nigerians can recall that the Adamawa State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner was also accused of being at the center of the failed attempt to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State Governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer declare the defeated APC candidate as the winner; a move that was firmly resisted by the people of Adamawa State.
“The PDP cautions that the people of Adamawa State will never surrender their mandate to these reprehensible plots to manipulate the outcome of the re-run governorship election in the State.
“The continued stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State is heightening tension and is capable of disrupting the peace for which the State is known.
“Mallam Yunusa Ari has clearly become partisan; he has descended into the arena by allegedly taking sides with the APC, a political party in the contest to the extent of directing Electoral Officers to manipulate election results in favour of the APC candidate.
“The PDP therefore demands that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately remove Mallam Yunusa Ari as Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State.”