The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to the recent allegation by Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State on the outcome of the governorship election in the state.
Yunusa-Ari during a press conference on Monday said he has evidence to prove that Ashatu Binani of the All Progressives Congress won the 2023 governorship election in Adamawa State.
Recall that Yunua-Ari was dismissed for declaring Binani as winner of the guber election even before the end of the collation of results across the state.
He was later sacked by the Senate months after he went into hiding.
He has since accused the leadership of INEC of ignoring critical documents that could have altered the election’s outcome against Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
But reacting to the dismissed REC’s allegation, INEC chairman’s chief press secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi said the matter has already been settled by the Supreme Court.
“In any case, the substantive matter of the 2023 Adamawa State Governorship election has been determined through the appropriate judicial process from the trial Tribunal to the Appeal Tribunal and finally settled by the Supreme Court.
“The commission will not comment on the propriety or otherwise of his conduct during the concluding part of the election as the matter is right now the subject of litigation at the High Court sitting in Yola and therefore subjudice,” Oyekanmi said.
He also urged Yunusa-Ari to stop playing hide and seek and follow due process by approaching the court with the said evidence.
“Now that he is back in the country, the right place to prove his innocence and the propriety of his action is by availing himself for the due process of law and not a press conference,” Oyekanmi added.
