NOTWITHSTANDING the approval of his dismissal by the National Assembly from his position as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Ari has insisted that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections in the state, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, won the poll.
Barrister Ari had been suspended after he declared Binani as the winner of the election while collation was still ongoing.
But he insists he has documentary evidence that Binani defeated incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking to journalists at his private residence in Bauchi State on Saturday, Ari swore by God that his actions were based on truth and evidence.
He insisted that he possessed documentary proof showing Binani defeated the incumbent governor, Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ari, who was suspended in 2023 and officially dismissed last week following National Assembly approval, expressed frustration that his evidence of electoral irregularities was ignored by both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Holding a copy of the Qur’an during the press briefing, he maintained that his actions were in good faith and aligned with electoral guidelines.
He said that there was pressure on him and other officials of the Commission to declare the incumbent governor winner of the election or his security could not be guaranteed.
Ari further accused INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa State, Bala Aji, of manipulating the election process by handing over about 20,000 election documents to the governor.
He claimed that, alongside the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies, he raided a private residence allegedly linked to the governor, where electoral malpractices were taking place.
Ari alleged that both the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal dismissed all his evidence against the irregularities in the controversial governorship election.
He said, “It came to my notice that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, conducted himself, not in the manner of a good civil servant, or an honest civil servant, as far as the elections were concerned. He surrendered election documents, about 20,000 copies, to the Governor of Adamawa State.
“We received a report, myself, the Commissioner of Police, and all the paramilitary agencies operating in Adamawa State. We went to that place, it’s a private house of the governor. We went there and it took us time to open that door. The door was opened, and we met the SSG and some government officials.
“We met them working directly, directly with these documents. These documents cover the whole of the state. So, we wrote a report. This is what is happening. And not only that, Bala Aji (ICT Head of INEC in Adamawa) misappropriated some of our papers. He took them somewhere, and the worst of it, on the day of the election, Bala Aji, the ICT head, was busy dashing away BVAS. He was giving our staff money in foreign currency. The thought came to me, I was shocked.
“To me, it’s an abuse of his own responsibility. So, I called him, I took strides against all that had happened, all the allegations against him. So, I expected the headquarters to respond quickly.
“They should have acted on those vote buying. So, they should have immediately come in and let us know about it. It would be the next line of action. Unfortunately, the report that I had sent (to INEC HQs) was swept under the carpets. This is one of the most unforgettable experiences I have ever had.”
Additionally, Ari accused Aji of distributing BVAS machines and bribing INEC staff with foreign currency on Election Day.
“This was a clear abuse of responsibility, and I took immediate steps against these actions, expecting INEC headquarters to intervene. Instead, my reports were ignored,” he lamented.
He maintained that he was denied a fair hearing by both INEC and the tribunal, stating that his evidence in support of Binani’s victory was dismissed without proper consideration.
According to him, his biggest concern was not his dismissal by the President but the “media trial”vl which he said had damaged his reputation.
Addressing allegations that he received a ₦2 billion bribe from politicians, Ari flatly denied the claim.
He stated that he was consulting his family on whether to pursue legal action, adding, “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is up to us to either make it or mar it.”
Reflecting on his tenure in Adamawa, he noted that he successfully conducted the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections without controversy.
However, he claimed that irregularities in 69 polling units during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections led to the crisis that ultimately resulted in his dismissal.
Eighteen-Eleven Media