Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari failed to intervene in the Adamawa gubernatorial election debacle.
Speaking with newsmen at the State House in Abuja, on Wednesday, April 19, the minister said President Buhari did not intervene in the Adamawa State election cri$is because he does not micromanage any institution of government.
He said the responsibility to deal with the infraction by the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, rests with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, he was not aware that a petition had been written to Buhari on the need to take action against Ari, who he pointed out is an employee of the electoral body.
Recall that while the results from the just concluded Adamawa governorship supplementary election were yet to be announced, Yunusa-Ari declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner.
Asked to give the reaction of the federal government to the matter, the government’s spokesman 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.
I think you can go ask INEC. INEC handles all these businesses. Honestly, if I were you, I will ask INEC that question. You said INEC took certain steps, right, it is in the context of INEC to so do. I’m not aware that there’s a petition. It was not addressed to me. That’s why I said your best bet is probably to ask INEC.”
