It’s INEC’s job to deal with Adamawa REC – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the onus of dealing with the Adamawa State Residential Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari’s infractions rest solely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Yunusa-Ari stirred controversy on Sunday after he declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aisha “Binani” Dahiru as the winner of the state’s governorship election with results in only 10 out of the 21 local government areas of the state collated by the commission.

INEC, however, declared the announcement null and void and directed the REC to stay away from election duty in the state.

The commission also reported the REC to the Federal Government for possible sanction on the matter.

However, Mohammed, who addressed State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja, said Yunusa-Ari was INEC staff and therefore should be duly sanctioned by the commission.

READ ALSO: Tinubu wants police to investigate events surrounding Adamawa supplementary poll

The minister declared that he was not aware of any petition written to the President on the need to sanction the INEC official for sidestepping the returning officer to declare incomplete election results.

Mohammed said: “I don’t think that this government has ever intervened in the way the Independent National Electoral Commission conducts its elections.

“So, there’s no need for us to intervene. It was entirely an INEC matter and INEC handled it.

“The chairman of INEC is in charge of all employees of INEC and he’s handling it. So, what do you want the government to do.”

“INEC took certain steps, right, it is in the context of INEC to so do. I’m not aware that there’s a petition. It was not addressed to me.”

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