The federal government has suspended Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the
resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa state.
Willie Bassey, director of information in the office of the
secretary to the government of the federation, said in a statement on Thursday,
that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the immediate suspension of Yunusa-Ari
pending the completion of an investigation by Usman Baba Alkali, the inspector
general of police on the conduct/actions of the REC during the supplementary
election in Adamawa.
According to the statement, Buhari also directed that the
REC be prosecuted if found culpable after the investigation.
“Also, the President has directed investigation by the
Inspector General of Police, Director-General of the Department of State
Services, and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense
Corps, of the role of their officers in aiding and abetting the conduct/actions
of Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari and if found culpable, appropriate disciplinary
actions, to be meted out to them,” the statement reads.
In a letter on Monday, INEC asked Yunusa-Ari, to stay away
from its office in the state and directed the administrative secretary to take
full charge of affairs in Adamawa with immediate effect.
The commission had also said it would write the
inspector-general of police, to investigate and prosecute Yunusa-Ari.
BACKGROUND
The Adamawa governorship supplementary election was
conducted on Saturday following the declaration of the March 18 poll as
inconclusive over alleged irregularities.
The collation of election results was suspended till Sunday
after results from 10 LGAs were announced.
But Yunusa-Ari had declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election when
results from all the LGAs were yet to be collated.
The announcement of the results triggered protests in
Adamawa with members of the PDP in the state staging a demonstration, marching
through the streets of Yola, the state’s capital.
INEC discontinued the
exercise and described the REC’s action as null and void.
The electoral body said the declaration of a winner is the
responsibility of the returning officer and invited the REC, the returning
officer, and all those involved in the collation process to its headquarters in
Abuja.
On Tuesday, INEC resumed the collation process and declared
Ahmadu Fintiri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner
of the governorship election.
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