Former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Hudu Ari, has once again insisted that Senator Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial election, was the true winner of the poll.
Speaking to reporters at his home in Bauchi State on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Ari swore by God that his actions were based on truth and solid evidence. He maintained that he had documentary proof showing Binani’s victory over the incumbent Governor Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ari, who was suspended in 2023 and officially dismissed last week following National Assembly approval, expressed frustration that his evidence of electoral irregularities had been ignored by both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
While holding a copy of the Qur’an, Ari emphasized that his actions were in good faith and in line with the electoral guidelines. He claimed that he and other electoral officials were pressured to declare Governor Fintiri the winner under threats to their personal safety.
Ari further accused INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa State, Bala Aji, of manipulating the election process by handing over about 20,000 election documents to the governor. He also claimed that, with the help of the Commissioner of Police and other security officials, he raided a private residence believed to be linked to the governor, where election documents were being altered.
“It took time to open the door, and when we finally gained access, we found the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and other officials working with election documents that covered the entire state,” Ari alleged.
Additionally, Ari accused Aji of distributing BVAS machines and bribing INEC staff with foreign currency on Election Day.
“This was a clear abuse of responsibility, and I took immediate steps against these actions, expecting INEC headquarters to intervene. Instead, my reports were ignored,” he said.
Ari maintained that he was denied a fair hearing by both INEC and the Tribunal, stating that his evidence supporting Binani’s victory had been dismissed without proper review.
His biggest concern, he said, was not his dismissal by the President, but the “media trial” that had tarnished his reputation.
Addressing accusations that he received a ₦2 billion bribe from politicians, Ari firmly denied the claim. He mentioned that he was consulting with his family on whether to pursue legal action, adding, “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is up to us to either make it or mar it.”
Reflecting on his time in Adamawa, he noted that he successfully oversaw the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections without controversy. However, he claimed that irregularities in 69 polling units during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections led to the crisis that ultimately led to his dismissal.
