‘Allow INEC to follow procedures’ — CDD tells parties in Adamawa guber poll

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has called on political actors to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to follow its procedures for the collation of results.

Hudu Yunusa-Ari, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, had declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election when results from all the LGAs were yet to be collated.

INEC subsequently discontinued the exercise and described the REC’s action as null and void.

The electoral body said the declaration of a winner is the responsibility of the returning officer and invited the REC, the returning officer, and all those involved in the collation process to its headquarters in Abuja.

Binani consequently asked a federal high court in Abuja to review INEC’s decision to void her declaration as the winner of the election.

Binani submitted that INEC lacks the power to cancel an election result as such power is constitutionally vested in the election petition tribunal.

The CDD had earlier condemned the REC’s action and asked the commission to “sanction all erring officials who carried out the illegal” declaration.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Idayat Hassan, its director, the CDD, while expressing concern over the turn of events, said it has observed how some political actors were disregarding democratic norms by attempting to involve the judiciary in the “illegal” matter.

“It is strange for the judiciary to be called in midway into the electoral process to interpret any action. Since it is abundantly clear that the now suspended Adamawa REC acted only as an imposter in announcing the so-called winner, no one ought to be told that the action was a nullity,” the statement reads.

“The judiciary should not be dragged into what is clearly an illegal affair ab initio. CDD calls on the leadership of the judiciary to stand by its earlier warning to judges and other judicial officers that they should avoid unwholesome interference in the political process.”

The organisation called on all parties involved to allow the lawful process of declaring the winner of the governorship poll to be followed.

“INEC should be allowed to follow its laid down legal means of collation and announcement of result before any aggrieved party approaches the right court for any needed redress,” CDD said.

“We once again call on political actors, electoral officials, and security agents to operate within the ambit of the law and avoid any situation that can lead to chaos or threaten peace. We call on the people of Adamawa State to remain calm as INEC brings closure to this process in line with the extant laws governing the conduct of elections.”