By Uche Amunike
A Civil Society Organization known as the Partners for Electoral Reform has urgently tasked the Nigerian police to declare the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, wanted.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the CSO, Ezenna Nwagwu, through a statement released in Abuja, Friday, after the reports that the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner reached out to the police from his hideout.
According to Nwagwu, if Yunusa-Ari was not ready to voluntarily give himself up for investigation, just as President Muhammadu Buhari directed, then he should be immediately declared wanted.
Hear him: ‘The suspended and now fugitive REC of Adamawa State has written to the Police from his hideout. He has been summoned to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja since April 17.’
‘This is 10 days and counting, he failed to show up. Meanwhile, the Police is said to have commenced an investigation into the travesty of his announcement of illegal result for the Adamawa Governorship election.’
‘Now he has written a four-page letter to IGP dated April 20 submitting an apparently unsolicited report to the police by illegally using the Commission’s letterhead after he was directed to stay away from office by INEC and his immediate suspension by the President.’
‘He is doing himself a disservice by going into hiding. Implied by his action is an admission of guilt which is apparent from his sudden disappearance.’
He advised Yunusa-Ari to courageously answer the invitation of the Inspector General of Police and make an official statement instead of resorting to letter writing, adding that the 4-page letter that was leaked to the press by the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner or his accomplices indicated that he was confused.
He further stated that the title of the letter seemed to be a report given of the Supplementary Governorship election held on April 15th, while its opening paragraph showed that the letter was intended for INEC but ironically addressed to the Inspector General of Police.
According to Nwagwu, The letter showed where the REC immediately attacked both the motive and credibility of the two national commissioners that were deployed to oversee the conduct of the supplementary and conclusion of state governors election.
His words: ‘The two Commissioners should be and ought to be capable of defending themselves from the allegations levelled against them. Any comment here will be prejudicial to the ongoing police investigation and possible prosecution of the REC.’
He also maintained that the REC did not have the basic understanding of the electoral legal framework and what his responsibilities entailed, as far as the letter was concerned.
Recall that Hudu Yunusa-Ari stirred up controversy when he declared Aisha Dahiru Binani of APC, the winner of the election, even though it was clear that the collation of results was still ongoing. This would have caused great crisis situation, but the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intervened by tactfully dousing the tension to avoid it leading to political crisis in the state.
