The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the Resident Electoral Officer in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa, ahead of the supplementary election billed for April 15.
PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba made the demand in a statement on Tuesday.
Incumbent governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP polled 421,524 while All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Aisha Dahiru Binani got 390,275 votes during the first ballot in March.
However, INEC declared the election inconclusive because the cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between Fintiri and Dahiru.
Ahead of the supplementary election, Ologunagba accused Yunusa of complicity in alleged plots to influence the outcome of the forthcoming polls.
“From credible information available to our Party, INEC is stoking a breakdown of Law and Order in Adamawa State with the continued stay in office of Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari as Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in spite of his alleged complicity in the plots to manipulate the outcome of the Governorship election in the State, even with PDP’s clear lead of 31,299 lawful votes in the election.
“It is provocative and unacceptable that INEC retained Mallam Yunusa Ari to conduct the April 15, 2023 governorship re-run election despite being reportedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State in the Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the defeated governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Aisha Binani.
“The continued stay in office of Mallam Yunusa Ari in the face of the widespread outcry by the people of Adamawa State amounts to pushing the people to the wall and daring them to do their worst.”
PDP also alleged that Yunusa gave similar instructions to Electoral Officers in some other Local Government Areas in Adamawa to manipulate the results of the election and therefore asked the REC to recuse himself from superintending and/or conducting the re-run governorship election.
