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Barrister Hudu Ari, the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has reaffirmed his allegation that Senator Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial election, was the genuine winner.

Speaking to journalists at his private residence in Bauchi State on Saturday, Ari vowed by God that his acts were founded on truth and proof.

He asserted that he had documentary proof that Binani had defeated the incumbent governor, Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Ari, who was suspended in 2023 and officially dismissed last week after National Assembly approval, was frustrated that both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Adamawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal ignored his evidence of electoral irregularities.

During the press briefing, he held a copy of the Qur’an and stated that his actions were in good faith and consistent with electoral norms.

He claimed that he and other election officials were persuaded to declare Governor Fintiri the winner despite threats to their personal safety.

Ari further accused Bala Aji, INEC’s Head of ICT in Adamawa State, of influencing the election process by passing over about 20,000 election documents to the governor.

He stated that he, along with the Commissioner of Police and other security services, raided a private property purportedly tied to the governor and discovered electoral malpractices.

“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,” he alleged.

Ari further accused Aji of distributing BVAS devices and bribing INEC personnel 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 lamented.

He claimed that both INEC and the Tribunal denied him a fair hearing, and that his evidence in support of Binani’s victory was discarded without due scrutiny.

According to him, his primary concern was not his dismissal by the President, but rather the “media trial” that had harmed his reputation.

Ari refuted claims of receiving a ₦2 billion bribe from politicians.

He added that he was speaking with his family about whether to take legal action, adding, “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is up to us to either make or mar it.”

Reflecting on his stint in Adamawa, he stated that the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections were conducted without incident.

However, he alleged that anomalies in 69 voting units during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections caused the situation that led to his removal.

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