Adamawa Re-run: Election disputes are INEC’s responsibility – Minister

The Nigerian government says President Muhammadu Buhari did not interfere with the developments that trailed the just concluded governorship election in Adamawa State, because it is strictly the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sort out the matter.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated this while responding to questions from State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting, said it is not in the character of President Buhari to micro-manage government’s institutions.

A scenario had emerged on Sunday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, when the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Mallam Hudu Ari, declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aishatu Dahiru (also known as Binani), winner of the election, an action that was immediately voided by the electoral umpire.

It would also be recalled that the INEC had on Tuesday, after the final collation of results, announced the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), incumbent Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, winner of the election.

However, reacting to inquiries by Journalists on why President Buhari had not intervened in the debacle, the Minister of Information, said it was entirely the responsibility of INEC to take action on the matter adding that “If the matter has been reported to the President, we need to patiently wait for him to take action.”

Pressed to give the reaction of the federal government to the matter, the Minister 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 an entirely 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?

“The President does not micromanage any institution,” noting on INEC’s report to appointing authority: “I think you should ask INEC. INEC handles all these businesses. Honestly, if I were you, I would ask INEC that question.”

Treason
The Minister also explained why he accused the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, of committing treason, saying that if his running mate had called for insurrection and he did not react, he is guilty as charged.

Asked why he accused Obi of treason during his recent trip to the United States, he said: “What I said about Mr Peter Obi is very clear. I said Mr Peter Obi has every right to seek redress in court like the Labour Party, but nobody has the right to call for insurrection or to threaten to say that if the President-elect is sworn in, that will be the end of democracy.

“That was precisely what the running mate of Mr Peter Obi said on live television and I have not heard Peter Obi rein him in or correct him.

“So, if your running mate said something, of course, he is saying it on behalf of the party and that of the candidate. That’s why it’s an act of treason, for anybody to say if a duly elected president in Nigeria is sworn in, that will be the end of democracy.

“It’s treason for anybody to say that if you swear in a duly elected president, you’re swearing in the military. It is crazy. So, I don’t see anything controversial in that.”

Mohammed asserted that he went to the United States to balance the skewed reports on the recent general election, which he said was “the most transparent, freest and authentic ever held despite the effort of the opposition to delegitimize or discourage the election.”

Immigration Boss
Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said he was not aware that the Comptroller General of Immigration, Idaho Jere Idris, has been removed.

Reports had emerged earlier in the day that Immigration boss had been asked to leave office following the expiration of his initial extended one year tenure. But when asked to clarify the matter, Aregbesola simply said: “It is Greek to me.”

N.O