Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa, says he does not regret announcing Aisha Binani as the winner of the April 15 governorship election in the state.
Yunusa-Ari had stirred controversy by declaring Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner when the collation of the results was yet to be completed.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the announcement null and void and summoned the REC to its headquarters in Abuja.
Subsequently, the electoral umpire wrote to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to prosecute Yunusa-Ari over the electoral infraction.
Speaking in an interview published by BBC Hausa on Tuesday, Yunusa-Ari said he wasn’t offered money by anyone to make the announcement.
He asserted that he acted within the confines of relevant laws before declaring the APC candidate as the Governor-elect before his decision was declared null and void by the national arm of the electoral body in Abuja.
The suspended REC said he never went into hiding, adding that he will honour the invitation of the police.
“I didn’t ask Binani and Fintiri for a single penny. It is against my religion to collect money from someone to help him do anything and I swear to God, claims that I was offered N2 billion are just baseless allegations and rumours,” Yunusa-Ari said.
“Where will I take N2 billion to? I saw it on social media that I was offered N2 billion.
On why he announced Binani as “winner” in the first instance, Ari said, “Votes polled by candidates were disclosed, I don’t have the papers with me here but both in the main and supplementary elections, Binani scored 428, 173 while Fintiri got 422, 303 votes.
“I have no regrets at all as I acted under the law; it is the law that warranted what I did and it shall absolve me.”
“I don’t regret announcing Binani winner of the election. Anything you do according to the law, you won’t regret it.
“I wrote a letter to INEC which they said they won’t accept — but I’m sure they’ve accepted and the invitation sent by the police is mandatory for me to honour it.
“I never went into hiding. I will honour the invitation of the police.”
