A civil society organization, CSO, the Partners for Electoral Reform has called on the Nigerian Police Force NPF to declare the embattled resident electoral commissioner, REC of Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari wanted.
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC on April 15 declared the March 18 governorship election inconclusive over alleged electoral irregularities, and conducted a supplementary election on April 15.
The REC declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru as the winner of the election while collations of results were still ongoing.
The electoral commission cancelled the announcement of the REC and told him to appear at its headquarters in Abuja directing the him to “stay away” from the facility of the Commission in the state.
President Muhammadu Buhari on April 20 welcomed the suspension of the REC and ordered his prosecution if he’s found guilty after necessary investigation.
The electoral commission said the REC was no where to be found, adding that he has been ignoring his phone calls.
The chairman of the CSO, Ezenwa Nwagwu in a statement released on Friday April 28 said the police should declare the REC wanted immediately if he does not appear for investigation.
“He is doing himself a disservice by going into hiding. Implied by his action is an admission of guilt which is apparent from his sudden disappearance,” Nwagwu said.
“There is no such designation under the law and curiously for a lawyer, he did not refer to any section of the Electoral Act to justify what is clearly his usurpation of the power of the returning officer.
“As for the results from various levels of collation, we all saw the REC making his illegal declaration without any forms in the manner the commission collates results and declares winners.
“In any case, the authentic results from all the 69 polling units across the 20 LGAs where the supplementary elections took place on April 15 is now public knowledge.
“There is a severe penalty under the Electoral Act 2022 for publishing fake election results which does not provide the option of fine.
“He cannot be hiding forever and cannot continue to move about in a private jet as he was allegedly flown from Adamawa to his hiding place.
“If Yunusa-Ari is not ready to voluntarily submit himself to police investigation as directed by the president, the police should declare him wanted immediately.”
The incumbent Governor of the state, Ahmadu Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party PDP was eventually declared the winner of the state governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He defeated thirteen other guber candidates in the state to retain his position as Governor of the state.