By Charles Adingupu
Those who thought that the erring Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari’s obnoxious role in the just concluded supplementary state governorship election lies in the forgotten past may be living in fool’s paradise as the federal government is currently making deliberate effort to ensure his arrest and prosecution.
Indications to this effect came to light as the Nigeria Police disclosed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Alkali Usman Baba has ordered an investigation into the embattled REC’S role in the controversial supplementary Governorship election.
This was sequel to an earlier appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to the IGP, urging him to probe the reported unwholesome activities of the REC in the Adamawa state governorship supplementary election.
The Force Spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a release acknowledged receipt of the letter from the INEC, dated 18th April, 2023.
Adejobi disclosed that the content of the letter chronicles the alleged impropriety of the actions of one Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, the Adamawa state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC.
The Force Spokesman disclosed that INEC had invited the Police Force to investigate, and possibly prosecute the REC for his actions.
Against this backdrop, Adejobi disclosed that the IGP raised a crack investigative team to work with the INEC to expedite action on the content of the letter.
It would be recalled that the punishment of the Adamawa state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari, provoked reactions as opinions were divided over whose purview the erring Commissioner would be disciplined.
The controversy began when the declared winner of the Adamawa governorship election and incumbent Governor of the State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri vowed to arrest and prosecute the REC shortly after receiving his Certificate Of Return at the INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
The next day, the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed dismissed the Adamawa state Governor’s threat, claiming that the arrest and prosecution of the embattled REC falls within the jurisdiction of the President.
But the civil society groups claimed otherwise as they argued that the punishment falls within the prerogative of the INEC as the erring REC remains a Staff of the Commission.
This stance may have prompted INEC to write the IGP to commence without delay the investigation of the role of the Adamawa state REC in the supplementary Governorship election.
