INEC’s declaration of Adamawa state governorship election as inconclusive has heightened anxiety among citizens as they may have to wait longer than expected for the conclusion of the exercise, Our Adamawa Correspondent, Umar Dankano reports
The declaration of the March 18 Governorship election as “inconclusive”by the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC in Adamawa state has thrown the incumbent Governor and Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, and Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani of the All Progressives Congress, APC, with their teeming supporters into confusion as either of them was optimistic of winning the gubernatorial race.
Before the one week shift of the Governorship and State Assembly elections originally scheduled for March 11, all the governorship candidates appeared fully prepared for the polls until the court order obtained by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi seeking to inspect the materials used for the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections came, shattering the anxiety of the guber candidates. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was eventually forced to change the earlier date fixed for the election.
The postponement was viewed by some political pundits as an advantage to candidates who would then have the ample chance to cover areas yet to be touched with their campaigns. Yet, others saw the development as disadvantageous due to unforeseen financial burdens that may be involved after much financial commitments had been made, despite the cash crunch in the country imposed by the Federal Government cashless policy that has made life increasingly difficult.
But the anxiety created by the one week shift in the polls is nothing compared to the current seeming endless wait for the people of Adamawa state following the declaration of the electoral exercise as inconclusive by the INEC. As at the time of filing this report which is about one week after the election, no date has been fixed for the conclusion of voting in Adamawa.
Announcing the results of the governorship election from the 21 local government areas in the state, Professor Mohammed Lamin Mele had explained that the number of cancelled votes exceeded the difference between the two leading candidates of PDP and APC in the contest.
Professor Mele advanced that cancellation of ballots was recorded in 47 Registration Areas with 41,796 registered voters which is higher than the margin of 31,249 between the people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who polled 421,524 and that of the All Progressives Congress(APC) who scored 390,275 votes thereby declaring the election inconclusive.
Mele further announced that,the total number of registered voters stood at 2,196,566 while accredited voters were 859,964 noting that the number of total valid votes was 837,820 as rejected votes recorded was 14,888, with total votes cast put at 852,748.
The context was seen as a battle of supremacy between the power of incumbency and the popularity and appeal of a female senator as the two camps braced up for an epic battle.There was high optimism by supporters of the two major gladiators that their candidate would emerge victorious in the gubernatorial race.
Senator Binani camp’s optimism is said to be buoyed by the well known presidential backing and a huge financial war chest allegedly made possible by the support of some Federal Government agencies as alluded to by the Chief Collation/Returning agent of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Alhaji Abdulwahab AbdulRahaman while addressing a press conference at the INEC collation centre recently. He claimed that some federal government agencies including NBC,Central Bank and security agencies among others had deployed huge human and material resources to aid the actualization of Binani’s governorship ambition.
“While NBC ensures that she had free access to media broadcasting houses,her opponents were for the most part denied such free access.While the CBN ensures she’s supplied of cash of new Naira notes,the security agencies guard and protect her votes-buying scheme,INEC undertakes her bids through out the electioneering process,including recruiting and posting of Ad-hoc and official staff throughout the state.
“What we have seen in the last Saturday’s elections is that ‘might is right’ and ‘the end justifies the means’, as the process was characterized by massive and widespread rigging,voter suppression,votes-buying, thuggery,ballot-box snatching,us of security personnel to perpetrate evil,INEC officials stuffing ballot boxes with ballot papers pre-thump-printed by them .
“Hence,the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Adamawa state were not free fair and credible and fall terribly below minimum standards of democratic election”.Abdulwahab had alleged.
On the other hand, it was believed that Governor Fintiri went into the context with the power of incumbency at his disposal, a well oiled political machinery and a huge financial war chest which he deployed effectively to his advantage.
The Governor (Fintiri) was so much optimism of victory to the extent he prepared his acceptance speech which he intended to deliver after presumed announcement of his victory.His media aides who also believed that their boss was coasting to victory as INEC announced results of 20 out of 21 local government areas went on jubilation spree as they awaited the announcement of their Boss by INEC as the winner .
One of the Governor’s aides who pleaded for anonymity said the Fintiri’s camp went into jubilations after the INEC accepted the contentious Fufore LGA results that had became a subject of controversy between the two camps.
It was also learned that Fintiri who was seemingly on edge and and palpable anxiety had to shed tears of joy when the Fufore LGA results were eventually accepted and counted by the INEC. But a sudden twist occurred. Instead of him to be announced as the winner of the gubernatorial contest, INEC declared the outcome ‘inconclusive’ which changed the joyous atmosphere in the government house to that of uncertainty and deep seated melancholy.
Another contentious issue that heightened tension during the exercise was a leaked audio where voices purported to be those of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari and the Returning Officer, Fufore Local Government Area, Dr.Bashir Danejo allegedly discussing on how to favour one of the contenders in the governorship election.
Campaign council of the People’s Democratic Party had at a press conference on penultimate Thursday in Yola called on the national headquarters of the INEC to quickly remove the embattled REC accusing him of compromising the electoral process.
Deputy Director General (South) of the council, Hon.Felix Tangwami said the council had it on a reliable source that the Adamawa state REC submitted to INEC headquarters 77 polling units that were said to be cancelled instead of the declared 69 poling units by the collation officer, Professor Mohammed Lamin Mele at the collation centre on Sunday 19th March when the process was rendered inconclusive.
“We want to categorically state that this will not be accepted and it will be resisted and we shall ask our lawyers to make sure Adamawa state is not taken for granted.It is a fact that we have been provoked ,blackmailed,some attacked and injured which should have let to a serious conflict.
“We also call on all Election observers and monitors,the press,NBA and the public to pressure INEC to investigate what we now term “HUDU YUNUSA’S Election Manipulation theory “ and quickly remove him from Adamawa state as we have lost confidence in him as an empire because he is no longer independent but dependent”.The council demanded.
Contacted on the allegation of additional polling units not declared at the collation centre, Information officer of INEC in the state,Dahiru Jauro said the commission had not communicated any circular regarding the conduct of the supplementary election not to talk of any additional polling units.
Adding his voice to the lingering matter, Former Vice President and PDP president candidate,Atiku Abubakar while addressing the media in Yola Monday cautioned INEC on the implications of delaying the outcome of the election which according to him may be dangerous to the growth of democracy in the country.
Abubakar counselled the election umpire to do the needful without further delay so that the winner can be given his mandate with a view to facing governance to forge ahead democratically.
But for now, the waiting game continues amid anxiety as INEC is not forthcoming on the date the exercise will be concluded.
