The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), an election monitoring group, has condemned in strong terms the illegal declaration of the results of the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
Executive Director, CTA, Faith Nwadishi, who was reacting to the ugly incident that took place over the weekend, described the action of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, as illegal and a gross violation of Section 25 of the Electoral Act 2022. Nwadishi observed that such a violation was not only an act of lawlessness but a threat to the sanctity of the electoral process and democracy in Nigeria.
The CTA boss commended the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for the steps it had taken so far to remedy the situation but charged the election management body to resume and conclude the result collation process and announce a winner in order to douse the tension that has been created by the unfortunate incident.
It could be recalled that Ari reportedly threw caution to the wind when he announced Sen Aisha Dahiru Binani, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election even when the result collation process was yet to be concluded amisdt allegations of heavy financial inducement.
Nwadishi expressed grave concern over the involvement of some security personnel in this shameful act of money politics. “The DSS must investigate this matter and thoroughly punish any personnel involved in this act of conscience trading. Our security agencies must operate with the highest level of integrity, and such behaviour is unacceptable.
“It is imperative that INEC releases the official results of the election immediately to prevent further damage to the credibility of the electoral process. We urge INEC to take all necessary measures to prevent any incidents of misconduct by its officials and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
“We remind all stakeholders that the Electoral Act 2022 provides for the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria. Section 26 of the Act specifically provides for the oat of neutrality, which all INEC officials, including Resident Electoral Commissioners, are required to take. Any attempt to manipulate the electoral process or influence the outcome of elections is a criminal offence and must be punished accordingly. We call on the Inspector General of Police to fast-track the request by INEC to order the arrest of Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari and prosecute him accordingly. This brazen and shameful conduct of the Adamawa REC should not be allowed to go unpunished, and INEC would have exonerated itself from this global embarrassment.
“We call on all Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any incidents of electoral malpractice or misconduct to the appropriate authorities. We also urge the government to take steps to ensure the independence and integrity of INEC and guarantee that the electoral process is free, fair, and credible,” Nwadishi said.
