Suspended Adamawa REC charged on six counts

Suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has been slammed with a six-count charge by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). 

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who revealed this, said the decision was taken at the regular weekly meeting where several issues were discussed, including the progress with the prosecution of electoral offenders.

He said: “It would be recalled that at the meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, two days ago on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023, the commission confirmed the receipt of case files from the Nigeria police, following the conclusion of an investigation into alleged electoral offenses during the 2023 general election, including the one involving the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, deployed to Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari.

“The commission also assured Nigerians of immediate action on the matter. As provided by Section 145(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, an offense committed under the Act shall be triable in a magistrate’s court or a high court of a state in which the offense is committed or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“Furthermore, Section 145(2) of the Act provides that a prosecution under the Act shall be undertaken by legal officers of the commission or any legal practitioner appointed by it.

“Having reviewed the case file from the Police, which established a prima facie case against Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the commission has filed a six-count charge against him at the Adamawa State High Court sitting in Yola. Consequently, the court has fixed Wednesday, July 12, 2023, for commencement of trial.”

Okoye added that the commission was working with the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) for the diligent prosecution of other cases.