*Says declaration by REC amounts to civilian coup
By; ISAAC ODEH, Kaduna
Former Senator representing Kaduna Central District, Senator Shehu Sani has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for 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 Commissioner (REC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate winner of the election against the wishes of the Returning Officer while the election process was still on, “is equivalent to a civilian coup.”
Sen. Shehu Sani who disclosed this in a swift reaction to the what he termed ‘Ilegal declaration” by Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner in a statement personally signed and made available to journalists in Kaduna yesterday, 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, where the electoral umpire slammed the action of the Adamawa REC, saying it usurps the power of the Returning Officer, is highly appreciated.
Noting 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 is not enough to summon the REC and other perpetrators, but advised that, “The REC and the security men, who perpetrated the acts must be prosecuted.”
While stressing that, “Our political culture and attitude to election needs chemotherapy. “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.”
