Following the cancellation of the collation exercise for the supplementary Governorship election held in Adamawa State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the outcome of the election in Adamawa is not controversial.
The board advised in a statement by its acting Chairman, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, in Abuja on Sunday.
Wabara said Nigerians watched in dismay the display of disregard for the rule of law by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
He said that the REC, accompanied by Security personnel and without following due process in the INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act, took it upon himself to assume responsibility for declaring election results.
Wabara said that Yunusa-Ari went ahead to hurriedly declare a winner in the Adamawa supplementary election as results collation was still ongoing for 10 local government areas.
“So far, results from the collated 10 LGAs indicated that the PDP was still in the clear lead over the closest contestant.
“This open disregard for the rule of law is a pointer that the Electoral Commission is compromised from within.
“Nigerians are expecting INEC to act justly as a neutral entity with respect to the supplementary elections taking place in Adamawa and other states in Nigeria.
“With the plethora of controversies surrounding the general elections so far, we call upon INEC to ensure that the outcome of the supplementary elections is not added to the list of controversial elections conducted by the body,” Wabara said.
He however called on PDP members to remain law-abiding and calm.
He said that the party would continue to follow developments from the supplementary elections to ensure that the will of the people of Adamawa was not thwarted by the few who have no regard for the law.
He commended the media, and local and international observers as they continue their jobs in ensuring that Nigerians have a Nigeria governed by true democratic tenets.
