The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, and the Deputy Governor-elect, Kaletapwa Farauta, have received their certificates of return in Abuja.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented the certificates to the newly re-elected governor and his deputy around 5 pm on Wednesday at its national headquarters.
Fintiri on Tuesday emerged as the winner of an arguably drama-filled supplementary election in Adamawa State.
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, and his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, have been issued a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
In last Saturday’s rerun, Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 9,337 votes besting Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes.
At the end of the entire exercise, Fintiri polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani who got 398,738 votes.
The announcement was however preceded by political intrigue.
With last month’s governorship election declared inconclusive by INEC, a supplementary election was scheduled for last Saturday.
However, on Sunday, as collation was underway, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, prematurely declared Binani as the winner, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers only the returning officer to announce the result and declare the winner of an election at the state collation centre in the case of election of a governor of a state
The commission is to present the certificates of return to the senators and House of Representatives members-elect at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja today
Among those to receive the certificates are Governor Aminu Tambuwal who was elected the senator to represent Sokoto South and his predecessor, Aliyu Wamakko, who was re-elected to represent Sokoto North.
The Kebbi State governor-elect, Nasiru Idris, and his deputy will also be presented with their certificates.
For the state houses of assembly members-elect, certificates are to be presented at INEC state offices, it added.
“Following the conclusion of supplementary elections nationwide and the declaration of winners, the Commission will present certificates of return to the Adamawa State Governor and Deputy Governor-elect at 3pm today,” parts of the statement reads.
“Similarly, members of the National Assembly-elect (Senators and House of Representatives) will receive their certificates from 11am today. Members of State Houses of Assembly-elect should contact our State offices for their Certificates.”
Last Saturday, INEC concluded the 2023 General Elections with supplementary polls in areas where elections were declared inconclusive or postponed.
The supplementary polls were held in 2,660 polling units across 185 local governments in 24 states.
It concluded the governorship election in Kebbi and Adamawa states, as well as states and national assembly legislative seats in other states.
