BREAKING: Police finally arrest Adamawa REC Yunusa-Ari, say he’s undergoing interrogation in Abuja
Hudu Yunusa-Ari, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is currently telling operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja, everything about his action on April in declaring the result of an election midway into collation of result.
Yunusa-Ari who has since been suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari on the recommendation of the commission, had on April 16, unilaterally declared Aisha Binani, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the governorship elections during the recently concluded supplementary polls, while results in other local government were being awaited.
Apart from disowning him instantly on the ground that he usurped the duties of the Returning officer, INEC had barred him from performing further official duties, before Buhari finally axed him and asked the police to conduct investigations into the development.
The latest development is coming hours after the embattled INEC boss, declared that he was merely doing his job and was therefore had no regrets about his action in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
Stating that neither the Department of State Services (DSS) nor the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) came searching for him as was widely discussed, Ari, a lawyer, said: “I never said the Governor bribed anyone, but I knew there were allegations. I swear, I had nothing to do with either Binani or Fintiri. All these stories about the N2 billion bribe were social media hype. I have no regrets whatsoever, when you do something that was allowed to be done in a democracy, there are no regrets.”
A statement in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) hereby confirms the arrest of Barr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who was alleged to have announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress winner of the gubernatorial elections during the recently concluded supplementary elections following calls for his arrest and investigation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the basis of alleged impropriety in the course of supplementary gubernatorial polls in the State.
“Barrister Ari, who was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja on Tuesday May 2 2023, is currently in Police custody and is being grilled to ascertain the motives and motivations behind his alleged improper actions during the supplementary elections in Adamawa State. In addition, other officials and individuals culpable in the saga are being interrogated by the team.”
Adejibi said the IGP 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.
He assured of the commitment of the Force to ensuring that justice is served in the case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice.
(WhirlWindNews)
