A panel combining operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have summoned the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
Yunusa-Ari was invited over his role in the April 15 supplementary elections in Adamawa State.
The panel established by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, has told the embattled REC to appear at the headquarters of the force, Louis Edet House, Abuja.
Garba Umar, who’s a Head of Interpol and an Assistant Inspector General of Police doubling as the Head of the Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team during the 2023 elections us to serve as the head of the panel.
The new development was confirmed by the spokesperson for the force criminal investigation department, Funmi Eguaoje.
The spokesperson aid the matter is not to be handled by the police alone but the panel of investigation.
Eguaoje said, “The suspended Adamawa REC has been invited by a joint panel comprising the police, DSS, and INEC officials. The committee was set up to investigate the matter, and the Chairman of the committee is AIG Garba. But it is not solely a police matter, the case is under the joint panel’s jurisdiction.
“The REC was invited by the joint committee, not the police. And I can’t confirm whether or not he has honoured the invite. I only know that he has been invited by the panel.”
The Informant247 recalls that the REC, on Sunday April 16, 2023 declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Adamawa State, Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani the winner of the election even while collation of results was still ongoing.
The headquarters of the electoral commission took a quick step on the critical electoral issue as it suspended the REC and postponed the announcement of the results indefinitely.
INEC on Tuesday April 18, 2023 said it would write the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman to immediately investigate and possibly prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner REC for Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari.
INEC said it will alert the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha to bring the unacceptable act of the REC to the awareness of concerned appointing authority for due action.
The famous human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has called for the punishment of Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
He said there are serious punishments for election-related offences.
He praised INEC for taking quick action against the REC, reaffirming that holistic actions need be taken on the issue to prevent its reoccurrence.