Sacked Adamawa REC insists Binani won, accuses INEC of cover-up

Barely a week after the National Assembly approved his dismissal, former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Hudu Ari, has doubled down on his claim that Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, won the 2023 governorship election.

Ari, who was suspended for controversially declaring Binani the winner while collation was still ongoing, swore by the Holy Qur’an in a chat with journalists at his Bauchi residence, insisting he had documentary evidence proving her victory over incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, pressure was mounted on him and other electoral officials to declare Fintiri the winner or risk their security. He alleged that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal ignored his evidence of electoral irregularities.

“It came to my notice that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, surrendered about 20,000 election documents to the Governor of Adamawa State. Myself, the Commissioner of Police, and other paramilitary agencies raided a private house belonging to the governor, where we caught government officials working directly with these documents,” Ari claimed.

He further accused Aji of manipulating the election process by distributing BVAS devices and bribing INEC staff with foreign currency. He lamented that his reports to INEC headquarters were ignored, describing it as “one of the most unforgettable experiences” of his life.

Expressing anger over what he termed a media trial, Ari denied allegations of collecting N2 billion from any politician. He stated that while his dismissal by President Bola Tinubu did not bother him, he was consulting his family on whether to seek legal redress.