Sacked Adamawa REC insists Binani won Adamawa guber election, claims to have proof

Former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Hudu Ari, has reiterated his stance that Senator Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 governorship election, was the rightful winner of the poll.

Speaking at a press briefing in Bauchi State on Saturday, Ari declared that he has documentary evidence to support his claim that Binani defeated the incumbent governor, Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ari, who was suspended in 2023 and recently dismissed following National Assembly approval, expressed frustration that his evidence of electoral malpractice was ignored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Holding a copy of the Qur’an as he spoke, Ari insisted that his actions were guided by integrity and compliance with electoral laws.

He alleged that INEC officials were pressured to declare Governor Fintiri the winner under threats to their safety.

He further accused INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa, Bala Aji, of manipulating election results by providing 20,000 election documents to Fintiri.

Ari claimed that he, along with the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies, conducted a raid at a private residence linked to the governor, where election materials were allegedly being tampered with.

According to him, it took a considerable amount of time to gain entry into the premises, and upon doing so, they found the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and other officials handling election documents that covered the entire state.

He also accused Aji of distributing BVAS machines and bribing INEC staff with foreign currency on Election Day. He described this as a clear abuse of responsibility and said he took immediate action, hoping for intervention from INEC headquarters, but his reports were ignored.

Ari strongly denied claims that he accepted a ₦2 billion bribe from politicians.

He lamented that his evidence supporting Binani’s victory was disregarded without proper consideration and that he was subjected to a media trial that damaged his reputation.

He stated that his primary concern was not his dismissal by the President but the unfair treatment he received.

He revealed that he is currently consulting with his family on possible legal action, adding that Nigeria belongs to everyone and justice must prevail.

Reflecting on his tenure, Ari noted that the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Adamawa were conducted without controversy.

However, he argued that irregularities in 69 polling units during the governorship election sparked the crisis that led to his dismissal.