Adamawa polls: Prosecute criminals behind drama — Fintiri

 

INEC National Commissioner, Prof Baba Bila presenting certificate of return to Adamawa State governor-elect, Ahmadu Fintiri at the INEC office in Abuja.

*NSCDC boss summons state commandant 

Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has summoned  Adamawa State Commandant, Muhammad Bello, to the Corps headquarters in Abuja to explain his role in Sunday’s failed attempt by the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, to usurp powers of the Chief Returning Officer in unilaterally declaring the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Aisha Dahiru, also known as Binani, as governor-elect.

While on Tuesday, the Inspector-General of Police IGP, Usman Baba Alkali, had redeployed Adamawa State Police Commissioner, CP Mohammed Barde, over his role in the election saga.

Fintiri seeks prosecution of ‘criminality’ behind poll drama

In addition, Fintiri, who received his certificate of return among other elected candidates, has urged the relevant authorities to prosecute criminals behind the Adamawa governorship election drama. He insisted that anyone who attempted to sabotage the electoral process should be prosecuted.

The INEC declared Fintiri, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, winner on Tuesday amid political intrigue that saw his closest rival, Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the APC being declared the winner on Sunday, while collation was still underway.

“I think everybody has learnt his lesson,” Fintiri said during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, last night, after his victory was made official 

“INEC itself, as an umpire, has learnt a lot of lessons and it has corrected its wrongs so that it can protect itself as an institution.

“The police that are supposed to protect democracy became caught up in the whole saga. It’s unfortunate. It’s a disgrace.

“But I think everybody is picking up and they are trying to correct their wrongs. Time will tell if these people will be properly prosecuted. But if they don’t prosecute this criminality that took place in Adamawa State, I am going to prosecute them.” 

He did not identify those he thought should be prosecuted.

However, INEC had since resolved to write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to probe and prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, Hudu Ari.

Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, ordered  immediate replacement of the Commissioner of Police on election duty in Adamawa, Mohammed Barde, with his counterpart in Gombe State, CP Etim Equa.

Asked to share his perspective on a rare instance of a governorship race with a woman as a front-runner, Fintiri argued that Binani was not the one he ran against.

“I don’t think I have run against any woman in Adamawa State. I ran against enemies of democracy outside Adamawa State and their gang-up has not got anywhere. I think, for now, we give God the glory,” he said.

On who was ganging up against him and why, the governor said: “They decided to be enemies of democracy and the only scapegoat they could find is in Adamawa State. They wanted to put a woman (from) their party, forgetting that we have performed excellently well in Adamawa State, our people love us.”

NSCDC boss summons Adamawa commandant

As part of moves to investigate the Adamawa election saga, NSCDC Commandant-General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, yesterday, summoned Its Adamawa State Commandant, Muhammad Bello, to the Corps headquarters in Abuja. Bello is to explain his role in the Adamawa election controversy.

“Given the controversy surrounding the just concluded Adamawa State governorship rerun election where the Corps was accused of complicity, along with other security agencies, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has summoned the State Commandant, Muhammad Bello, to the Corps’ National Headquarters, Abuja”, said Director of Public Relations at the NSCDC Headquarters, Commandant Olusola Odumosu.

According to him, the CG directed the state commandant to immediately hand over affairs of the command to his immediate subordinate to allow him time to provide the management of the Corps with an explanation on the role he played in the exercise.

Dr Audi emphasised that NSCDC was a non-partisan, non-political organisation that would not tolerate the involvement of personnel or any of its formation in political controversies as widely alleged.

“I have summoned the state commandant to national headquarters to face the management team and explain himself in clear terms.

“We are renowned for our integrity, neutrality and non-partisanship in election matters, that is why we will not take the case of Adamawa lightly.

“I have ordered him to hand over the command to his immediate deputy because his role in the rerun election is currently being investigated and if he is found culpable, then he will have himself to blame,” the CG said.

Fintiri, others get certificates of return 

Meanwhile, INEC, yesterday presented certificates of return to the re-elected governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, and his deputy.

Similarly, members of the National Assembly-elect (Senators and House of Representatives) also collected their certificates of return.

Speaking after receiving his certificate of return yesterday, Fintiri, who declared himself a veteran of inconclusive elections, apologized to INEC for the attacks on two of its national commissioners by hoodlums, saying it was a case of mistaken identity.

Fintiri, whose security details earlier barred journalists and INEC staff from accessing the commission’s conference hall, said:  “It is unfortunate that we have to go through all these to arrive at this moment today. 

‘’This should have been finished and done since on March 18. But unfortunately, because of the attitude of some individuals among us, and some discretions of some politicians, it has to drag this long for us to be here. 

‘’But thank God, INEC with very wonderful and excellent personnel, has redeemed the whole process. They redeemed the image battered by so- called REC and today, Nigerians have cause to celebrate democracy.

“Going forward, we should learn from the lessons that we went through in the last one week so that we can continue to build on the process and on our democracy as stakeholders.

Apologies

“One apology I have to make is what happened to the two excellent national commissioners in my state. I take the blame, and I apologize. Sorry for what the hoodlums did for the mistaken identity.

“For Nigerians and the international community that have stood for this democracy, I say thank you.  Yes it was my toughest election because of the external manipulation that was coming from Abuja. 

‘’They were interested in seeing that they strangle democracy and you can see to your dismay that even the security agencies that are supposed to protect our democracy were involved in strangulating  democracy in Nigeria. 

“Unfortunately, the military had to get involved to save democracy in Adamawa. It is quite unfortunate.

“I have become a veteran of inconclusive elections and I have learnt a lot. I know that I won the election on March 18, 2023 squarely from the beginning”.

Culled from Vanguard