Shehu Sani commends INEC's alleged suspension of Adamawa supplementary Election Results collation

Says REC action amounts to civilian Coup

By Idibia Gabriel

The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for allegedly taking the bold step to suspend the collation of the Adamawa State supplementary governorship poll.

According to the Former lawmaker, a situation where the Resident Electoral Commission declared the APC governorship candidate the winner of the election as against the Returning Officer while the election process is still in progress “is equivalent to a civilian coup.”

Sen. Sani who disclosed this in a swift reaction to the what he termed “Illegal declaration” by Adamawa REC, in a statement personally signed and made available to journalists in Kaduna today commended Professor Mahmud Yakubu and the INEC for prompt intervention.

He further stated ,”It was obvious that the REC was out to truncate democracy in the state and by extension Nigeria if his action was allowed unchecked .

He expressed joy that the statement signed by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education, Barrister Festus Okoye.
In particular, he expressed joy where the electoral umpire slammed the action of the Adamawa REC, describing it as usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer, and is highly appreciated.

Sani noted that the good step about the statement is that it declared the announcement ,”… null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended.”

Senator Shehu Sani’s statement further reads: “The declaration by Adamawa REC is an equivalent of a civilian coup.

“The action of the Rec stands condemnable. Our democracy can’t survive if we condone such brazen act of criminality and brigandage.

He however, said it not enough to summon the REC and other perpetrators but also advised that “The REC and the security men, who perpetrated the acts must be prosecuted.

While he stressed that “Our political culture and attitude to election needs chemotherapy, he noted that “The Dangerous trend in our electoral system has gone beyond the culture of violence,vote buying and falsification of results to the most obnoxiously and brazenly crude phase of taking over the collation center, seizing the Mic and illegally declaring the results of an election”, he stated.