The Coordinator of the Binani Campaign Council, Vrati Nzonzo has defended the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari.
It would be recalled that during the supplementary polls of the Adamawa State governorship election, Ari had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Binani, as “winner” of the governorship election in the state in the absence of the Returning Officer, Mohammed Mele.
However, OsunDaily News understands that Binani’s campaign coordinator has made a case for Ari, while justifying his action which was later reversed by the leadership of the electoral umpire.
According to Nzonzo, “The Returning Officer disappeared,” and that was why Ari declared his principal ‘winner’ of the polls.
The APC chieftain while featuring live on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday insisted that Ari, who has been said to have usurped the constitutional function of the returning officer, was not in the wrong.
He maintained that “It is not wrong. On the premise that he doesn’t want to allow a vacuum in the state, results must be announced.
“As far as I am concerned, it’s okay. If Mr Hudu announced the election as inconclusive, why won’t he announce the winner of the election?
“When he announced the first election as inconclusive, nobody said anything. Mr Festus Okoye was not on national television to condemn it but when on the second turn, he announced distinguished Senator Aishatu Binani as the winner of the election, all hell let loose.”
Speaking further, he asserted that Binani is being “victimised” because she is a woman, and the courts will decide the matter.
He added that “As far as we are concerned, there seems to be a very biased position taken against our candidate. And it’s unfortunate.
“As far as we are concerned, she is being witchhunted, and she is being drown using the media and other individuals that are out there to victimise her, may be because she is a woman. We are proud of her and her achievement.”
