Former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja ignored his report detailing the rigging of the 2023 governorship election in the state.
His claims surfaced just a week after the National Assembly approved his dismissal. Yunusa insisted that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) manipulated election results and engaged in vote-buying to secure victory.
According to him, INEC officials played a role in covering up evidence of electoral malpractice, undermining the integrity of the entire process. He maintained that Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, rightfully won the disputed election.
Yunusa faced immediate suspension after declaring Binani as the winner while collation was still ongoing. In a recent interview on AIT, he swore by the Holy Qur’an, claiming to have documentary proof that Binani defeated the incumbent governor.
He further accused INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal of disregarding all the evidence he presented regarding the election irregularities.
“It came to my notice that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, acted dishonestly during the election. He handed over about 20,000 election documents to the Governor of Adamawa State,” Yunusa alleged.
He recounted that he, along with the Commissioner of Police and paramilitary agencies, visited a private residence linked to the governor. “We struggled to gain access, but when we finally did, we found the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and other officials working with these election documents. These papers covered the entire state, and we immediately documented our findings,” he explained.
Yunusa further accused Bala Aji of misappropriating election materials and distributing them improperly. “On election day, he was busy handing out BVAS devices and even gave our staff money in foreign currency. It was shocking and a clear abuse of his position. I reported all these violations, expecting INEC to act swiftly, but my report was ignored,” he lamented.
He described the incident as an unforgettable experience, emphasizing that INEC’s failure to address his concerns deeply disappointed him.
Yunusa also claimed that he was denied a fair hearing to defend his position on why he believed the APC candidate won the election.
“My dismissal by the President didn’t trouble me as much as the media trial that has tarnished my reputation. I never received N2 billion from any politician. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and we have a duty to either build or destroy it,” he stated.
Reflecting on the situation, he noted that he had successfully conducted the presidential and National Assembly elections but ran into issues during the gubernatorial and state assembly elections, particularly in 69 polling units.
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