Dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Ari has insisted that the 2023 gubernatorial election was actually won by the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen Aisha Binani.
He made the declaration few days after the NASS approved his sack as a Commissioner in the employment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the contraversies that trailed the conduct of the elections.
Ari swore by the Holy Quran that Sen Aisha Binani actually won the controversial election by defeating the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri.
The former REC who is one of the recently dismissed INEC officials was speaking with a cross section of Journalists in his private residence in Bauchi on Saturday evening on issues leading to the controversial declaration of the election result by him.
A visibly enraged Ari, declared and affirmed that he has every necessary supportive documentary evidence that Aisha Binani defeated Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the elections.
He said that both Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakubu and the Election Tribunal dismissed all his evidences against the irregularities in the controversial governorship election.
Holding a copy of the Holy Qur’an while speaking to Journalists, he said that there was pressure on him and other officials of the Commission to declare the incumbent Governor, Adamu Fintiri winner of the election or else his security could not be guaranteed.
Swearing by the Holy Qur’an, he said that he did all he did in good faith and in accordance with the guidelines of the elections.
According to him, “It came to my notice that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, conducted himself, not in the manner of a good civil servant, or an honest civil servant, as far as the elections were concerned. He surrendered election documents, about 20,000 copies, to the governor of Adamawa State.”
He added that, “We received a report, myself, the Commissioner of Police, and all the paramilitary agencies operating in Adamawa State. We went to that place, it’s a private house of the governor. We went there, it took us time to open that door. The door was opened, we met the SSG and some government officials.”
Ari added that, “We met them working directly, directly with these documents. These documents cover the whole of the State. So, we wrote a report. This is what is happening. And not only that, Bala Aji (ICT Head of INEC in Adamawa) misappropriated some of our papers. He took them somewhere, and the worst of it, on the day of the election.”
According to him, “Bala Aji, the ICT head, was busy dashing away BVAS. He was giving our staff money in foreign currency. The thought came to me, I was shocked. To me, it’s an abuse of his own responsibility.”
“So, I called him, I took strides against all that had happened, all the allegations against him. So, I expected the headquarters to respond quickly,” he added.
The dismissed REC added that, “They should have acted on those vote buying. So, they should have immediately come in and let us know about it. It would be the next line of action.”
He lamented that, “Unfortunately, the report that I had sent (to INEC HQs) was swept under the carpet. This is one of the most unforgettable experiences I have ever had.”
The dismissed INEC REC said that he was not given fair-hearing and all his evidences to prove what he declared the right candidate were ignored by INEC and the Tribunal.
Hudu Ari said that he is consulting his family on the next line of action, whether to or not seek legal redress in court saying that, “My sack by the President did not bother me but the media trial has dented my image. I did not collect N2bn from any politician.”
He stressed that, “We are Nigerians, Nigeria belongs to all of us, it behoves on us to either make or mar it. This is very important and we must all choose what to do with it.”
According to him, “I conducted the Presidential and NASS elections successfully and was in the process of the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections when the problem began. It was in 69 polling units.”
By: Yemi Kanji