Adamawa Guber: Suspended REC’s Absence Stalls Arraignment In Court

The suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, was on Monday absent at the State High Court in Yola, where he was to be arraigned over his unilateral decision to announce the results of the 2023 Adamawa governorship election while the exercise was ongoing.

Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was ordered by Justice Benjamin Manji of the State High Court in Yola to produce Yunusa-Ari in court during its next sitting on November 23, 2023.

The development follows the failure of the Police to serve the hearing notice on Yunusa-Ari.

According to the Counsel to INEC, Rotimi Jacobs, the police made several failed attempts to serve the suspended REC the hearing notice by visiting his home even as his surety also could not be traced.

The presiding judge, however, wondered why the Police who grant the accused bail through a surety who could neither get the defendant nor the surety.

He, therefore, granted the prosecution counsel’s request of two weeks for the defendant to appear before the court

Jacobs said all will be done to ensure the appearance of the defendant on the next adjourned date.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had given the nod for INEC to prosecute Yunusa-Ari, who is facing a six-count charge over the role he played in the 2023 governorship election in the state.

Following the conclusion of the supplementary governorship election on April 15, the suspended REC announced the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aishatu Ahmed Binani, as the winner of the election midway into the collation of results and in the absence of the Returning Officer.