INEC declares Fintiri winner of Adamawa gov poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Ahmadu Fintiri as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election.

The Returning Officer, Muhammed Melee, declared incumbent Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party winner on Tuesday after polling 430,861 votes to defeat his major counterpart Aisha Binani of the All Progressives Congress who polled 398,788.

It was gathered that INEC reopened the collation centre for the supplementary election results on Tuesday. The supplementary election held in the state on Saturday, April 15, after the election of March 18 was declared inconclusive by INEC, following certain irregularities.

The collation exercise in the state was stopped on Sunday after the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Binani, the winner of the election, which led the commission on Monday to ask Hudu to stay away from the office.

In his acceptance speech after being declared winner, the governor-elect said he was “humbled the more.”

While congratulating his co-contenders for their struggle in the governorship race, Fintiri condemned the action of Hudu who had earlier declared Binani as the winner of the election.

While saying the action of the REC “fell below expectation,” he thanked the people of Adamawa “for voting for continuity.”