NewsNigeriaPoliticsINEC Denies Partisanship In Adamawa Guber Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked allegations that its officials, deployed to supervise the governorship rerun in Adamawa State, paid a nocturnal visit to the State Government House presumably to rig the polls for sitting Governor. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

Barr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the commission made the denial in a statement on Thursday.

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a Press Statement by a candidate in the recently concluded Adamawa State Governorship election in which officials deployed for legitimate duty in the State were alleged to have undermined the electoral process after a discreet ‘nocturnal’ visit to the Government House and ostensibly met with one of the candidates in the election who gave them a list of ‘collation and returning officers’ deployed for the election.”

“Ordinarily, the Commission does not join issues with partisan actors, particularly where no evidence has been provided.”

“To set the record straight, no such visit or meeting took place let alone the compilation of any purported list of collation and returning officers. Such a meeting would have been contrary to the oath of neutrality that we all swore to.”

“Moreover, every conscientious observer would have noticed that the Commission appointed and retained only one Returning Officer for the Governorship election who also doubled as the State Collation Officer for the Presidential Election. Like all Returning Officers nationwide, he was issued with a letter of appointment by the Commission and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State was duly informed.”

Hassan Umar Shallpella (Regional Correspondent)

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