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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Barring any last minute changes, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will do the final collation and declare the results of the controversial Adamawa State governorship election, on Thursday, April 20.
The commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Dr Festus Okoye disclosed this on Monday, saying that INEC will meet between Tuesday and Wednesday on the matter.
The commission had on Monday suspended the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, for usurping the powers of the Returning Officer and unilaterally returning the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, as duly elected when collation had not been concluded.
Immediately Ari made the declaration, INEC summoned the REC and the returning officer, Prof Mele Lamido to its headquarters in Abuja.
At the time the REC announced Binani as winner of the poll, results of the supplementary election from 10 local governments are yet to be collated.
From the results collated on Saturday, Adamawa State governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri, was in the lead.