The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Barr Hudu Ari has assured that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would deliver a free, fair, credible and acceptable election in the state.
He stated this while speaking to Journalists in his Bauchi residence in Bauchi on Tuesday, adding that the election in the state became inconclusive in line with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act as amended considering the circumstances surrounding the conduct of elections at that time.
“As REC, I don’t belong to any political party, I don’t have a soft spot for any of the candidates, they are all the same to me. I have no reason to be biased against any of the candidates or political parties.”
“There were some discrepancies in the results sheets from Fufore LGA. There were figures for the State Assembly in the governorship election. There was no way we could declare such results,” he said.
Ari further explained that there were reports of ballot boxes snatching by unknown persons, saying that there were three different results from different sources which could not be reconciled.
He condemned the threat to his life saying “We had to pass the night at the Barracks. It was very unfortunate that things have reached such a dimension. On the second day when we reconvened at about 3pm, the atmosphere was not conducive, we were rescued by military personnel.”
It could be recalled that 15th of April has been set by INEC headquarters to conclude all outstanding supplementary elections across the country, the Adamawa INEC REC said that he was waiting for further directives from the headquarters on what to do.
Asked about the call for review of the elections in the state, he said that it was the National Headquarters of INEC that has the final decision on the issue assuring that he, as REC, was ready to do whatever he is directed to do by the Headquarters.
