By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) yesterday confirmed the arrest of Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who was alleged to have announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, alias Binani, as the winner of the recently-concluded gubernatorial supplementary elections in the state.
A statement by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the arrest followed calls for the REC’s apprehension and investigation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) based on alleged impropriety in the course of supplementary polls.
It said Yunusa-Ari was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja yesterday, and is currently in police custody, being grilled to ascertain the motive and motivation behind his alleged improper actions during the Adamawa election.
The statement added that, apart from Yunusa-Ari, other officials and individuals culpable in the saga were being interrogated by the team.
“The Inspector-General of Police has given clear assurance that every individual involved/indicted in the matter will be apprehended and investigated in line with the provisions of the law for possible prosecution.
“The Inspector-General of Police has assured of the commitment of the Force to ensure that justice is served in this case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice,” Adejobi stated.
Adamawa State has been in the news since Binani was erroneously declared the winner by REC Hudu-Ari as the winner of the April 16, 2023, supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
Confusion erupted barely a week later when the electoral umpire, INEC, declared Yunusa-Ari, who had been suspended from further supervision of the election in the state, was declared missing.
Before his suspension was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, there had been confusion over the REC’s whereabouts.
INEC sustained the spate of confusion when it declared on Friday, April 21, that it does not know about Yunusa-Ari’s whereabouts.
However, the suspended REC suddenly emerged from wherever, breaking his silence, and claiming that his actions on the controversial elections were lawful.
The suspended REC, Yunusa-Ari, however, said he did not regret announcing Aisha Binani as the winner of the April 15 governorship election in the state.
Yunusa-Ari, who spoke yesterday in an interview published by BBC Hausa, said he wasn’t offered money by anyone to make the announcement.
The suspended REC said he never went into hiding, adding that he will honour the invitation of the police.
“I didn’t ask Binani and Fintiri for a single penny. It is against my religion to collect money from someone to help him do anything and I swear to God, claims that I was offered N2 billion are just baseless allegations and rumours,” Yunusa-Ari said.
“Where will I take N2bn to? I saw it on social media that I was offered N2 billion.
“I don’t regret announcing Binani winner of the election. Anything you do according to the law, you won’t regret it.
“I wrote a letter to INEC which they said they won’t accept — but I’m sure they’ve accepted and the invitation sent by the police is mandatory for me to honour it.
“I never went into hiding. I will honour the invitation of the police.”
Subsequently, the electoral umpire wrote to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to prosecute Yunusa-Ari over the electoral infraction.
On April 20, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the suspension of the Adamawa REC pending the completion of an investigation by the police.
A day later, INEC said it was not aware of the whereabouts of Yunusa-Ari.
