Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized alleged plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to increase the number of the polling units ahead of the re-run of Adamawa State Governorship election from 69 to 77.
The Governorship election conducted in the state on March 18 was declared inconclusive by the state collation and returning officer, Professor Mohammed Mele.
According to Mele the incumbent Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP could not be declared winner despite polling 421,524 of the votes cast to defeat his closest contender Senator Aishatu Binani, of the All Progressive Congress, who scored 390,275 votes, because the number of cancelled votes in the state was higher than the margin of lead of 31,249 established between the two leading candidates.
However the PDP, on Thursday, has called on INEC to prove the independence of the commission which has been questioned lately by some actions so far taken by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Yunusa Ari, by relieving him of his duty as REC.
While speaking with Journalists at the government house in Yola, Felix Tangwami, who spoke on behalf of the party’s Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, said,
“Yunusa conspired to influence the polls in favour of the APC and its candidate. It has further uncovered that he has submitted to INEC headquarters that 77 polling units were cancelled in Adamawa state instead of 66 cancelled for governorship which is at variance with what was declared by the returning officer Adamawa State Professor Mohammed Mele. This means there’s an additional 8 polling units from Yunusa Ari and the APC and this will not be accepted.”
“We call on INEC to investigate what is now termed as Hudu Yunusa election manipulation theory and quickly remove him from Adamawa State, as we have lost confidence in him as an impartial umpire because he’ no longer independent but dependent”.