Buhari okays suspension of Adamawa REC, prosecution, if found guilty

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate suspension of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Adamawa State.

According to a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, the REC’s suspension would subsist pending the completion of an investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the conduct/actions of the Yunusa-Ari during the April 15, supplementary election in Adamawa State.

“The President has directed the immediate investigation and prosecution, if found liable, of Ari, by the Inspector General of Police”, said Willie Bassey, Director, Information in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF.

“Also, the President has directed investigation by the Inspector General of Police, Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS,and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, of the role of their officers in aiding and abetting the conduct/actions of Hudu Yunusa Ari and if found culpable, appropriate disciplinary actions, to be meted out to them,” the statement added.

Recall that INEC had on Monday suspended the Adamawa REC, Yunusa-Ari for usurping the powers of the Chief Returning Officer, CRO, Mele Lamido, and unilaterally returned the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Binani, as duly elected, even when collation had not been concluded, sparking a controversy.

The declaration of election results is the responsibility of the returning officer, and not the resident electoral commissioner.

INEC then summoned the REC and Mele Lamido to its headquarters in Abuja.

But Mele Lamido on Tuesday, returned to Adamawa to conclude the collation, after which he declared incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, elected.

INEC denies meeting with Adamawa govt officials to rig polls

In another development, INEC, has denied report that its officials deployed to supervise the Adamawa State governorship rerun poll, paid a nocturnal visit to the state Government House, ostensibly to rig the poll for incumbent Governor Fintiri.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye made the denial in a statement, yesterday.

He said: “The attention of the commission has been drawn to a statement by a candidate in the recently concluded Adamawa State governorship election in which officials deployed for legitimate duty in the state were alleged to have undermined the electoral process after a discreet ‘nocturnal’ visit to the Government House and ostensibly met with one of the candidates in the election, who gave them a list of ‘collation and returning officers’ deployed for the election.

“Ordinarily, the commission does not join issues with partisan actors, particularly where no evidence has been provided.

“To set the record straight, no such visit or meeting took place let alone the compilation of any purported list of collation and returning officers. Such a meeting would have been contrary to the oath of neutrality that we all swore to. Moreover, every conscientious observer would have noticed that the commission appointed and retained only one Returning Officer for the governorship election, who also doubled as the State Collation Officer for the Presidential Election, SCOPE.

“Like all Returning Officers nationwide, he was issued with a letter of appointment by the Commission and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State was duly informed. The list of Collation Officers was also forwarded to the dtate with every page of the list personally endorsed by the Chairman of the commission well ahead of the arrival of the National Commissioners.”

Okoye said the same statement created the impression that the national headquarters of the commission specifically targeted Adamawa State in its deployment of National Commissioners and other officials with the sole intention of influencing the outcome of the supplementary election held on April 15, 2023, and sidelining the REC.

“Nothing can be further from the truth. For the record, it has been the standard policy and practice of the commission to deploy National Commissioners, RECs and other staff from the headquarters or neighbouring states for supplementary or off-cycle elections where doing so is considered necessary.

“In the case of Adamawa State, where supplementary governorship election was held in 69 polling units, two national commissioners were deployed while for Kebbi State involving 142 polling units, three National Commissioners were deployed. Similarly, one national commissioner each was deployed to Sokoto, Zamfara, Imo, Rivers, Ekiti and Ogun states. This has been the standard practice of the commission of which all RECs are informed in advance. Therefore, Adamawa State was not specifically targeted. In all other states, the RECs worked cooperatively with the national commissioners except in Adamawa State for reasons that are now obvious to all.

“The public is advised to discountenance these insinuations as nothing more than a claptrap. We also advise those behind the mischief to desist forthwith as such fabrications have endangered the lives of our officials (both ad hoc and regular) engaged in legitimate election duties. We expect well-meaning citizens to act within the bounds of propriety and decency,” Okoye added.