Adamawa poll: Gov Fintiri speaks on Binani’s declaration, urges calm

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has urged the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful over the declaration of the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Binani, as the winner of the governorship supplementary election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Fintiri, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said only 10 Local Government Areas were collated out of 20 LGAs.

The governor said this while speaking at a press conference in Yola, the Adamawa State capital on Sunday.

He, however, commended the national headquarters of INEC for its prompt action, halting the declaration of Binani as governor-elect.

Governor Fintiri, who expressed optimism that the electoral umpire would subsequently collate and announced the winner of the election, thanked security agencies and the people of Adamawa State for demonstrating courage and maturity throughout the tension period, stressing that nobody would subvert their democratic rights.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the election, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, declared Binani as the winner while the collation of results was still ongoing at the INEC collation centre in Yola on Sunday.

Yunusa-Ari, who said the APC candidate scored the highest number of votes, did not provide the data or the results with which she won the election.

The election results from 10 out of the 20 Local Government Areas of Adamawa State was declared by the REC before he adjourned the exercise till 11 a.m.

He, however, declared Binani as the winner of the election an hour before the scheduled time.

The Returning Officer for the gubernatorial election, Mele Lamido, was not present when Yunusa-Ari announced the APC candidate as the winner of the poll.

The Star