INEC Urges Suspended Adamawa REC to Defend Himself Legally

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa, Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, to seek legal recourse to establish his innocence instead of addressing the media.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Chief Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphasized that Yunusa-Ari, now back in the country, should utilize the judicial system to address allegations related to irregularities in the 2023 Adamawa governorship election.

Yunusa-Ari faces six charges regarding his actions during the March 18, 2023 election, during which he controversially declared Aisha Dahiru (commonly known as Binani) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner while results were still being collated.

Following this, INEC nullified his announcement and suspended him.At a recent press conference in Bauchi, Yunusa-Ari criticized his suspension, claiming he had not been afforded due process and reiterated that Binani was the rightful winner of the election.

In response, Oyekanmi urged him to defend his case in court rather than through public statements.

He remarked, “The substantive issues surrounding the 2023 Adamawa governorship election have been conclusively addressed through established judicial processes, and Yunusa-Ari’s claims contain no new information.”Oyekanmi further urged Yunusa-Ari to resolve the matter through legal channels rather than press engagements.