‘Stay Away’ From Office – INEC Bars Adamawa REC
BY EDMOND ODOK – Still smarting from the embarrassing display by its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ordered him to stay away from the Commission’s office in the state indefinitely.
A letter signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriran-Anthony and titled; ‘Commission’s Directive to Stay Away From INEC, Adamawa State’, said; “I hereby convey the Commission’s decision that you (Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari), Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adamawa State should stay away from the Commission’s office in Adamawa State immediately until further notice.”
The letter dated April 17th, 2023, and addressed to Ari personally further stated that; “The Administrative Secretary has been directed to take full charge of INEC, Adamawa State with immediate effect. Please, accept the assurances of the Commission’s warm regards.”
The development is coming on the heels of Ari’s decision on Sunday to unilaterally declare the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa state, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani as the winner of the State gubernatorial polls without recourse to the constitutionally recognized Returning Officer as prescribed by law.
And reacting to the constitutional breach, INEC National Commissioner, and Chairman Information and Voter Education, Barrister Festus Okoye, described the REC’s action as a “usurpation of the powers of the Returning Officer”.
Okoye said in a statement that the Commission has, consequently, suspended the collation of results of the supplementary election in the state while also maintaining that the so-called declaration of Senator Binani as the winner and Governor-elect of Adamawa State was null, void and of no effect.
He also disclosed that the Commission has summoned the REC, Returning Officer and all those involved in the process to immediately report at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
