In a dramatic and defiant declaration, dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari, has once again insisted that Senator Aisha Binani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the rightful winner of the 2023 gubernatorial election. Swearing by the name of God while clutching a Qur’an, Ari maintained that his controversial actions during the poll were rooted in truth and undeniable evidence.
Addressing journalists at his private residence in Bauchi State on Saturday, the embattled former electoral chief claimed to possess documentary proof that Binani triumphed over the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He lamented that his evidence of alleged electoral irregularities was ignored by both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Ari, who was first suspended in 2023 and recently dismissed following the National Assembly’s ratification of his sack, alleged that immense pressure was mounted on him and other electoral officials to declare Fintiri the winner or face threats to their personal security.
He accused INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa State, Bala Aji, of compromising the election process by allegedly handing over about 20,000 election documents to Governor Fintiri. He further claimed that Aji facilitated the distribution of BVAS machines to unauthorized persons and bribed INEC officials with foreign currency on Election Day.
In a startling revelation, Ari recounted how he, alongside the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies, raided a private residence allegedly linked to the governor, where they found top government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), handling election documents in what he described as a clandestine operation.
> “It took time to open the door, and when we finally gained access, we found the SSG and other officials working with election documents that covered the entire state,” he alleged.
Ari accused INEC headquarters of turning a blind eye to his reports of electoral malpractice, choosing instead to vilify him through what he described as a “media trial” designed to destroy his reputation. He maintained that he was denied a fair hearing by both INEC and the tribunal, alleging that his evidence proving Binani’s victory was deliberately sidelined.
Dismissing allegations that he received a ₦2 billion bribe to illegally declare Binani as governor, Ari said he was in consultation with his family on whether to pursue legal action to clear his name.
> “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is up to us to either make it or mar it,” he declared.
Despite the controversy surrounding his tenure, Ari pointed out that he had successfully conducted the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections without incident. However, he argued that the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in 69 polling units became a battleground for political manipulation, ultimately leading to his downfall.
While INEC, the judiciary, and the federal government have all dismissed Ari’s claims, his latest outburst adds another twist to the ongoing debate over the credibility of the 2023 Adamawa governorship election. The question remains: Is Ari a whistleblower exposing deep-seated electoral fraud, or merely a disgraced official fighting to salvage his reputation?
PIONEER NEWS 