Interpol has invited Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Hudu Yunusa-Ari who was suspended over his alleged misconduct in the state’s April 14 supplementary elections.
In a letter dated April 27, 2023, Interpol asked Ari to report to the National Central Bureau in Abuja for questioning.
The letter partly read:
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“The bureau is investigating a case of conduct likely to cause breach of public peace, violation of oaths of neutrality, impersonating a collation/returning officer, disobedience to lawful order/directive, impersonation and announcing false governorship result of the just concluded Adamawa State governorship supplementary election.”
However, the letter, signed by Garba Umar, an assistant inspector-general of police in charge of Interpol, did not specify a date for the INEC chief to appear.
Ari had declared Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Adamawa governorship polls.
This move INEC said, contravened the provisions of the Electoral Act since collation was still ongoing.
INEC insisted that Ari was not the returning officer and therefore unauthorised to make a declaration.
Ari eventually left Adamawa on a chartered flight after the announcement, according to reports.
While some alleged Ari went into hiding, others argued he was not on the run, adding that he became a target of powerful interest at INEC and Adamawa after refusing to compromise in the exercise.
Recall that Ari had sent a letter to the nation’s top security agencies alleging two INEC national commissioners Baba Bila and Abdullahi Zuru conspired with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the election.
Ari insisted that Dahiru got the highest number of valid votes, hence, won the governorship election. But the INEC headquarters argued the result and said its final tally showed incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was reelected.
