INEC to Binani: You have no evidence we secretly worked with Fintiri

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has responded to the claim by Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State that INEC officials attempted to undermine last Saturday's election.

Binani, who was prematurely declared the winner of the election by a Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari while collation was ongoing, accused some INEC national officers of taking over the collation of results through the backdoor.

The governorship candidate in a statement on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, said the INEC officers made the move after meeting with the incumbent governor of Adamawa State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmadu Fintiri. 

Binani also alleged that the collation and returning officers that eventually oversaw the election after the suspension of the collation process were selected by Governor Fintiri.

“The roles of these INEC officers from Abuja and the real mission of the two to the government house should be of interest to all democrats”. she said.

Reacting to Binani’s allegations against its officers, the electoral body in a counter statement said the APC candidate has no evidence to back her claims.

INEC explained how it compiled the list of officers that were appointed for the Adamawa poll, adding that no meeting took place between Fintiri and its national officers.

"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 (SCOPE). 

“Like all Returning Officers nationwide, he was issued with a letter of appointment by the Commission and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State was duly informed. The list of Collation Officers was also forwarded to the State with every page of the list personally endorsed by the Chairman of the Commission well ahead of the arrival of the National Commissioners”.

INEC also dismissed the claim that it specifically targeted Adamawa State in its deployment of National Commissioners and other officials with the sole intention of influencing the outcome of the April 25 supplementary election in the state. 

“In the case of Adamawa State where supplementary governorship election was held in 69 polling units, two National Commissioners were deployed while for Kebbi State involving 142 polling units, three National Commissioners were deployed. 

“Similarly, one National Commissioner each was deployed to Sokoto, Zamfara, Imo, Rivers, Ekiti and Ogun States. This has been the standard practice of the Commission of which all RECS are informed in advance. Therefore, Adamawa State was not specifically targeted. In all other States, the RECs worked cooperatively with the National Commissioners except in Adamawa State for reasons that are now obvious to all,” INEC explained.

The commission, therefore, urged the public to disregard the ‘insinuations’. It also advised those behind the ‘mischief’ to desist forthwith.