A joint team of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) personnel has summoned the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, over his role in the controversial governorship supplementary election held in the state.
The spokesperson for the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Police Headquarters, Funmi Eguaoje, confirmed the development to newsmen on Monday.
It could be recalled that Yunusa-Ari had declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election, while collation of results for the supplementary election held on April 15 was still ongoing.
INEC immediately intervene, proclaimed Yunusa-Ari’s declaration as null and void, and summoned the REC to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Yunusa-Ari, however, failed to honour the summons and instead disappeared.
The electoral umpire further wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba Usman, asking the Police to investigate, and if found culpable, prosecute Yunusa-Ari for electoral infractions.
Following the receipt of the letter, IGP Baba Usman tasked an investigative team to work in collaboration with INEC on the matter.
The electoral body later affirmed that it didn’t know the whereabouts of the suspended Adamawa REC.
In the latest development, meanwhile, the investigation panel set up by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, asked Yunusa-Ari to show up at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The panel is headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police and Head of Interpol, Nigeria, Garba Umar, who was appointed as Head of the Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Team, in the build-up to the 2023 general elections. Read more.