April 19, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called on the police to investigate the Adamawa supplementary governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, April 15, conducted a supplementary election in Adamawa State, after it declared the gubernatorial election held on March 18, inconclusive.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the winner of the election after collating the supplementary election results.
The final tally showed that Aisha Dahiru Binani, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 398,788 votes, while Fintiri polled 430,861 votes.
Prior to the announcement, controversy ensued after Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) in the state, declared Binani the winner of the election.
His declaration was subsequently voided by the electoral umpire.
The President-elect, in a statement on Wednesday, called for a thorough investigation of “all that transpired” in the election.
“The supplementary polls have now brought the 2023 elections to a final, fitting conclusion. I observed, with satisfaction, the largely peaceful atmosphere that pervaded the supplementary election on Saturday. It was further testimony that our citizens have accepted democratic norms and have unalloyed faith in the electoral process.
“However, I note the matter of the Adamawa Supplementary Governorship Election and I urge police authorities to fully investigate all that transpired in the election given the attendant controversy.
“In every democratic contest, there has to be one winner. I call on those aggrieved to pursue legitimate means of addressing their grievances”, he said.
The president-elect congratulated winners in the elections while calling on the elected officials to “rededicate themselves to the service of their respective constituents.”
Tinubu urged them to “brace up to serve” Nigerians and work with him to achieve a “prosperous” country.
“With the conclusion of the 2023 elections, I now welcome all of us who have been elected to brace up to serve our people with diligence and dedication and to join hands with me as your President-elect in the pursuit of our agenda to renew the hopes of our people in a better, stronger, more secure, economically vibrant and prosperous Nigeria”, he said.
