The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the just concluded Adamawa gubernatorial election, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, has rejected a claim that she gave out heavy amount of money to an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for her to be declared winner of the Saturday supplementary poll.

The Adamawa supplementary governorship election was conducted on Saturday following the declaration of the March 18 poll by INEC as inconclusive over alleged irregularities.

The collation of election results was suspended till Sunday after results from 10 LGAs were announced.

However, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Commission (INEC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, declared Binani as the winner when the results from the remaining LGAs had not been officially sorted and announced.

Following her controversial declaration, there were reports that the APC candidate paid INEC officials N2 billion in order to be declared the winner.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, Binani denied offering the sum of ₦2 billion to “procure a favourable declaration as governor-elect to some unnamed INEC staff”.

Binani said the report is “very bizarre, unfounded and wild allegations”.

“I never did, I would never do such,” the statement reads.

“I wish to reiterate that I am a democrat. I have always been a committed democrat and will never do anything to subvert the democratic process. I am not a do-or-die politician. In the past, I have won elections into the house of representatives and the senate in a free and fair manner.

“What happened in Adamawa was an unsuccessful attempt to subvert the will of the people. The REC was illegally told to stand down by two INEC national commissioners from Abuja who were supposed to be in Adamawa in a supervisory capacity. Even more curious is the nocturnal visit of some INEC national officers to the Adamawa state government house and the bizarre declaration the same day after the visit that they have taken over the collation through the backdoor with the collation and returning officers selected by the governor of Adamawa.

“The roles of these INEC officers from Abuja and the real mission of the two to the government house should be of interest to all democrats.

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“I urge all lovers of democracy to take a deeper interest in our electoral process and democracy not only in Adamawa but in the whole country.”

Binani thanked her supporters for their “unflinching support in the midst of half-truths and opposition smear propaganda”