BREAKING: INEC declares Governor Finitri of Adamawa State re-elected after a dramatic poll.

The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at 5:49 pm on Tuesday was preceded by a series of political intrigues.

Exactly one month after the March 18 governorship elections, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the winner of what some might describe a drama-filled supplementary election in Adamawa State.

In last Saturday’s rerun, Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 9,337 votes besting Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes.

The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at 5:49 pm on Tuesday was preceded by a series of political intrigues.

With last month’s governorship election declared inconclusive by INEC, a supplementary election was scheduled for last Saturday.

However, on Sunday, as collation was underway, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, prematurely declared Binani as the winner, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers only the returning officer to announce the result and declare the winner of an election at the state collation centre in the case of election of a governor of a state.

Incidentally, results had been declared for only 10 of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) in the supplementary poll, which indicated Fintiri was leading, having won in seven LGAs next to Binani’s three.

The declaration by Ari was quickly followed by an acceptance speech by the APC candidate.

The PDP candidate scored 430,861 votes to defeat APC’s Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru who got 398,738.

INEC on Tuesday said it will write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari.

INEC on Tuesday said it will write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari.

Security is tight at the state collation centre in Yola, the Adamawa State capital as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reconvened and resumed the collation of results for Saturday’s supplementary governorship election.

INEC Administrative Secretary in the state, Adamu Gujungu, who has been mandated to take the place of the erring Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari, was seen at the collation centre.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, is at the collation centre.

Also, the state Returning Officer, Mohammed Mele, is present.

INEC had on Sunday suspended collation for the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa after Ari announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner over the incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

INEC had immediately summoned Ari to Abuja and declared his announcement an invalid declaration and a usurpation of the powers of the collation and returning officer.

The electoral umpire also said it will write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute Ari.

Before the collation exercise was suspended on Saturday night, results from 10 LGAs had been announced — and Binani was trailing Fintiri.

The collation of results from the remaining 10 LGAs was expected to commence by 11 am on Sunday, and Mele Lamido, the returning officer for the Adamawa governorship election, was not present when Ari announced Binani as the winner of the election.

According to the constitution, Lamido is the rightful official empowered to declare the winner of the election.