An officer of Nigeria’s secret police, Department of State Services (DSS) has revealed that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa state, Hudu Yunusa, was paid N2 billion to declare Aishatu Dahiru Binani as the winner of the governorship election in the state.
In a viral video, Isa explained that the REC collected N2 billion to declare the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner.
The DSS official denied being an accomplice in the fraud. He insisted that he led a team to arrest the electoral commissioner.
“I told you while we were in the car that the REC collected money running into billions of naira to rig the election. I don’t know the exact amount but let’s put it at N2 billion,” Isa said.
Asked what he was doing around the REC’s place, he responded, “I swear to God I didn’t collude with him in the bribery; I was detailed with my team to arrest him instead.”
Saharareporters earlier on Sunday reported that a dramatic twist to the governorship election in Adamawa state had emerged after the APC candidate, Binani was declared the winner of the poll before the completion of the collation of results.
But INEC, in a statement on its official Twitter handle shortly after the announcement of Binani as the winner of the election, described the action of the REC as the “usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer”.
“It is null, void and of no effect,” the statement issued by Barr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner, Information & Voter Education, said.
It further said, “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa Governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) even when the process has clearly not been concluded.”
“Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended.
“The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately. Detailed statement to follow shortly,” it added.