…Commission orders REC, RO, other stakeholders to report to Abuja
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Serious confusion is currently trailing the Adamawa governorship supplementary election as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared as null and void the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC’s) announcement of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Ahmad Binani, as winner of the poll.
The commission in a statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, ordered both the REC and the Returning Officer to suspend further actions on the election and report to the headquarters of the commission in Abuja immediately.
Expressing further worries, the commission wondered how the REC could usurp the responsibility of the Returning Officer and announced the result even when the process has not been logically concluded.
“The attention of the commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa governorship election by the REC even when the process has clearly not been concluded.
“The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended. The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja immediately,” the statement read.
