YOLA, Nigeria – In a shocking turn of events, suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner Hudu Yunusa Ari, who is currently in hiding, has claimed that Aisha Binani was the true winner of the 2023 governorship election in Adamawa.
Mr Ari made these allegations without providing any evidence in a letter sent to the nation’s top security agencies on April 20th. He has been on the run since April 16, after suddenly declaring Mrs. Ahmed the winner without presenting any evidence.
According to Ari, national commissioners Baba Bila and Abdullahi Zuru, who were tasked with assisting him in the supplementary election on April 15, were secretly working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the results.
The INEC headquarters in Abuja nullified Mr. Ari’s actions and declared Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP the winner. President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Mr. Ari’s immediate arrest for the illegal declaration, sparking nationwide anxiety.
It remains unclear whether security agencies know Mr. Ari’s location.
In response to these allegations, INEC spokesman Festus Okoye urged Mr. Ari to turn himself into the commission or police. Mr Okoye dismissed Mr. Ari’s claims as “fictional letters from hiding” and said the commission is uninterested in them.
INEC did not comment on Mr. Ari’s bribery allegations against Messrs Bila and Zuru.
Despite these dramatic claims, Mr. Fintiri’s spokesman strongly denied the allegations of bribery.
Meanwhile, at least seven aides to the governor were arrested for their involvement in the attack on an SSS agent. Their current status remains unknown.
