…Tells REC to recuse self from conducting supplementary election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Adamawa State chapter has raised an alarm over the danger of continued stay in office of Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari as Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and asked him to recuse himself from that election coming up in 10 days.
The party on Tuesday noted that from credible information available to it, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is stoking a breakdown of law and order in Adamawa State with the continued stay in office of Mallam Ari as Adamawa 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.
While speaking to journalists in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba said that 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 Hausa Language to alter election results in favour of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aisha Binani.
“The continued stay in office of Mallam Yunusa Ari in the face of widespread outcry by the people of Adamawa State amounts to pushing the people to the wall and daring them to do their worst,” the party said.
The PDP dismissed the lame denial of the leaked audio tape by the exposed INEC REC, adding that the basis for recusal by an umpire is the accusation of likelihood of bias.
“In this case, apart from the accusation, there is audio evidence against Mallam Yunusa Ari and he cannot by any standard superintend over the Adamawa governorship re-run election without widespread suspicion of his actions.
“The situation around the embattled INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner is worsened by allegations of similar instructions to Electoral Officers in some other Local Government Areas of the State to manipulate the results of the election,” the PDP said.
The party asked Mallam Yunusa Ari to recuse himself from conducting the supplementary election over the grave allegation, adding, “in view of these grave allegations and evidence of the audio tape already in the public domain, Mallam Yunusa Ari should immediately recuse himself from superintending and/or conducting the re-run governorship election in Adamawa State on April 15, 2023.”
The PDP invited Nigerians to note that INEC relieved the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Sokoto State, Dr. Nura Ali over allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the just concluded elections in that state, and in Adamawa State in the face of these grave allegations except for sinister reasons,” the party said.
“Nigerians can recall that the Adamawa State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner was also accused of being at the center of the failed attempt to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer declare the defeated APC candidate as the winner; a move that was firmly resisted by the people of Adamawa State,” the party said.
The PDP cautioned that the people of Adamawa State will never surrender their mandate to the reprehensible plots to manipulate the outcome of the re-run governorship election in the State.
“The continued stay of Mallam Yunusa Ari as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State is heightening tension and is capable of disrupting the peace for which the state is known.
“Mallam Yunusa Ari has clearly become partisan; he has descended into the arena by allegedly taking sides with the APC, a political party in the contest to the extent of directing Electoral Officers to manipulate election results in favour of the APC candidate.
“The PDP therefore demands that the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu immediately remove Mallam Yunusa Ari as REC in Adamawa State,” the party added.
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