“I Swear by the Qur’an, I Was Forced to Declare Fintiri Winner” – Dismissed Adamawa INEC REC Insists

Former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has claimed he was pressured into declaring Governor Ahmadu Fintiri the winner of the controversial 2023 governorship election despite allegedly having evidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, rightfully won.

Speaking in Bauchi on Saturday, Yunusa-Ari accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal of deliberately ignoring reports of widespread irregularities. He alleged that he and other officials were coerced under threats to their security to announce Fintiri’s victory. Swearing by the Holy Qur’an, he insisted that he acted in good faith and followed electoral guidelines.

Yunusa-Ari also accused INEC’s ICT head in Adamawa, Bala Aji, of electoral malpractice, claiming Aji handed over 20,000 sensitive election documents to Governor Fintiri. He alleged these documents were found in a private house linked to the governor, where top officials were purportedly manipulating them. He further alleged that Aji distributed BVAS machines and bribed INEC staff with foreign currency on election day, describing it as a blatant abuse of office.

He expressed frustration that his reports on these alleged violations were ignored by INEC headquarters. Holding up documents he claimed were authentic result sheets and letters sent to INEC, he maintained that he had substantial evidence but was never invited to present his case. According to him, INEC and the Tribunal dismissed his submissions without due process, denying him a fair hearing.

Responding to allegations that he received a N2 billion bribe, Yunusa-Ari denied any wrongdoing and said he is consulting his family on his next steps, lamenting that the media trial has severely damaged his reputation.

Yunusa-Ari was suspended on April 17, 2023, after unilaterally declaring Binani the winner while collation was still in progress. His announcement was swiftly nullified by INEC and widely condemned as illegal. He was later arraigned before the Adamawa State High Court on charges of unprofessional conduct. Earlier this year, his attempt to halt court proceedings was dismissed for lacking merit.