Dismissed REC Ari Swears Binani Defeated Incumbent Adamawa Governor Fintiri

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

The immediate past Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Ari has while holding Qur’an sworn to prove that the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator A’isha Binani actually defeated her rival of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri.

Barrister Ari who was holding a Qur’an during an interview with newsmen at his Bauchi resident on Saturday, boasted of having every necessary supportive documentary evidence that Aisha Binani defeated the incumbent Governor Fintiri in the rounds of the elections.

Acording to him, both Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmud Yakubu and the Election Tribunal dismissed all his evidences against the irregularities in the controversial governorship election.

Barr. Ari further revealed that there was pressure on him and other officials of the Commission to declare Fintiri as the winner of the election or else his security could not be guaranteed.

The sacked REC insisted that his decision to declare Senator Binani was in good faith and in accordance with the guidelines of the elections.

“It came to my notice that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, conducted himself, not in the manner of a good Civil servant, or an honest Civil servant, as far as the elections were concerned. He surrendered election documents, about 20,000 copies, to the Governor of Adamawa State”, Barr Ari unveiled.

He said that, Bala Aji (ICT Head of INEC in Adamawa) misappropriated some of the papers of the commission by taking them somewhere on the day of the election.

According to him, “Bala Aji, the ICT head, was busy dashing away BVAS. He was giving our staff money in foreign currency. The thought came to me, I was shocked. To me, it’s an abuse of his own responsibility”, he further revealed.

“So, I called him, I took strides against all that had happened, all the allegations against him. So, I expected the headquarters to respond quickly,” he added.

Barr. Ari regretted that the commission and the tribunal denied him fair hearing despite all the evidences he tendered to prove that the declaration of Senator Binani as winner of the election followed due process.

“They should have acted on those vote buying. So, they should have immediately come in and let us know about it. It would be the next line of action”, he added.

The former REC said decried that the report that he had sent to INEC HQs was swept under the carpets, describing it as one of the most unforgettable experiences he has ever had.

“I conducted the Presidential and NASS elections successfully and was in the process of the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections when the problem began. It was in 69 polling units”, he said.