Adamawa – REC on the Run
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleged last week that the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State Hudu Yunusa-Ari was on the run along with his surety.
INEC told the Adamawa State High Court that Yunusa-Ari was evading arraignment in court to answer to six-count charges preferred against him.
INEC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court presided over by Justice Benjamin Manji Lawan that the prosecution could not arraign Yunusa-Ari due to the inability to arrest him. The defendant, Jacobs said, refused an invitation from the investigative police officer (IPO) upon being served a hearing notice.
He requested the court to adjourn the matter to enable police to effect Yunusa-Ari’s arrest for arraignment and trial, or in the alternative bring an application for the court to issue an arrest warrant against him.
Speaking with journalists after the court session, Jacobs said the defendant had been evasive. You can’t get him or arrest him. He is hiding. The lawyers have been encouraging him to do so.
The IPO who introduced himself as Moses Jolujdo, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed to the court that the defendant and his surety had been evading arrest.
INEC had dragged Yunusa-Ari to court on charges of announcing false electoral results, violating the oath of neutrality, breach of duty, disorderly conduct at the election, inciting disturbance, and impersonating a public servant.
Those charges derived from his usurpation of the power of the INEC-appointed Returning Officer to declare Aishatu Dahiru (Binani) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Adamawa State supplementary governorship poll last April while the collation of results was still underway.
He was overruled and suspended by the electoral commission, which declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a winner when the results collation ended.
