Guber polls: Waiting game in Adamawa amid heightening anxiety

outcome ‘inconclusive’ which changed the joyous atmosphere in the government house to that of uncertainty and deep seated melancholy.

Another contentious issue that heightened tension during the exercise was a leaked audio where voices purported to be those of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari and the Returning Officer, Fufore Local Government Area, Dr.Bashir Danejo allegedly discussing on how to favour one of the contenders in the governorship election.

Campaign council of the People’s Democratic Party had at a press conference on penultimate Thursday in Yola called on the national headquarters of the INEC to quickly remove the embattled REC accusing him of compromising the electoral process.

incumbency and the popularity and appeal of a female senator as the two camps braced up for an epic battle. There was high optimism by supporters of the two major gladiators that their candidate would emerge victorious in the gubernatorial race.

Senator Binani camp’s optimism is said to be buoyed by the well known presidential backing and a huge financial war chest allegedly made possible by the support of some Federal Government agencies as alluded to by the Chief Collation/Returning agent of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Alhaji Abdulwahab AbdulRahaman while addressing a press conference at the INEC collation centre recently. He claimed that some federal government agencies including NBC,Central Bank and security agencies among others had deployed huge human and material resources to aid the actualization of Binani’s governorship ambition.

“While NBC ensures that she had free access to media broadcasting houses,her opponents were for the most part denied such free access.While the CBN ensures she’s supplied of cash of new Naira notes,the security agencies guard and protect her votes-buying scheme,INEC undertakes her bids through out the electioneering process,including recruiting and posting of Ad-hoc and official staff throughout the state.

“What we have seen in the last Saturday’s elections is that ‘might is right’ and ‘the end justifies the means’, as the process was characterized by massive and widespread rigging,voter suppression,votes-buying, thuggery,ballot-box snatching,us of security personnel to perpetrate evil,INEC officials stuffing ballot boxes with ballot papers pre-thump-printed by them .

“Hence,the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Adamawa state were not free fair and credible and fall terribly below minimum standards of democratic election”.Abdulwahab had alleged.

On the other hand, it was believed that Governor Fintiri went into the context with the power of incumbency at his disposal, a well oiled political machinery and a huge financial war chest which he deployed effectively to his advantage.

The Governor (Fintiri) was so much optimism of victory to the extent he prepared his acceptance speech which he intended to deliver after presumed announcement of his victory.His media aides who also believed that their boss was coasting to victory as INEC announced results of 20 out of 21 local government areas went on jubilation spree as they awaited the announcement of their Boss by INEC as the winner .

One of the Governor’s aides who pleaded for anonymity said the Fintiri’s camp went into jubilations after the INEC accepted the contentious Fufore LGA results that had became a subject of controversy between the two camps.

It was also learned that Fintiri who was seemingly on edge and and palpable anxiety had to shed tears of joy when the Fufore LGA results were eventually accepted and counted by the INEC. But a sudden twist occurred. Instead of him to be announced as the winner of the gubernatorial contest, INEC declared the

Deputy Director General (South) of the council, Hon.Felix Tangwami said the council had it on a reliable source that the Adamawa state REC submitted to INEC headquarters 77 polling units that were said to be cancelled instead of the declared 69 poling units by the collation officer, Professor Mohammed Lamin Mele at the collation centre on Sunday 19th March when the process was rendered inconclusive.

“We want to categorically state that this will not be accepted and it will be resisted and we shall ask our lawyers to make sure Adamawa state is not taken for granted.It is a fact that we have been provoked ,blackmailed,some attacked and injured which should have let to a serious conflict.

“We also call on all Election observers and monitors,the press,NBA and the public to pressure INEC to investigate what we now term “HUDU YUNUSA’S Election Manipulation theory “ and quickly remove him from Adamawa state as we have lost confidence in him as an empire because he is no longer independent but dependent”.The council demanded.

Contacted on the allegation of additional polling units not declared at the collation centre, Information officer of INEC in the state,Dahiru Jauro said the commission had not communicated any circular regarding the conduct of the supplementary election not to talk of any additional polling units.

Adding his voice to the lingering matter, Former Vice President and PDP president candidate,Atiku Abubakar while addressing the media in Yola Monday cautioned INEC on the implications of delaying the outcome of the election which according to him may be dangerous to the growth of democracy in the country.

Abubakar counselled the election umpire to do the needful without further delay so that the winner can be given his mandate with a view to facing governance to forge ahead democratically.

But for now, the waiting game continues amid anxiety as INEC is not forthcoming on the date the exercise will be concluded.