Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has responded to the announcement that Aisha Dahiru Binani, a candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has won the governorship election in Adamawa State.
News outlets reported that Binani had been named the victor of the governorship race on Sunday by the state’s Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
While the Saturday supplementary election’s results were still being tallied and Yunusa was acting in place of the state returning officer, Professor Mohammed Mele, he made this announcement.
INEC Denies Declaring Binani Winner Of Guber Election, Summons Adamawa REC
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected Yunusa’s announcement, halted the results’ tabulation, and called the REC to Abuja.
Ozekhome referred to Senator Binani’s declaration as an abomination that shouldn’t be tolerated in an interview with the Punch on Sunday.
According to the Electoral Act, the only person with the authority to proclaim the winner of an election, according to the human rights activist, is the INEC returning officer.
The errant REC might be sentenced to 36 months in prison, according to Ozekhome.
“It is even more absurd that the Adamawa State REC did not only usurp the powers of the Returning Officer but attempted to declare a winner without figures in reckless violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission Guidelines as well as the sensibility of the people of Adamawa State, ” he said.
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