The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday dismissed the claims made by the former Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, stating that the courts—not press conferences—are the proper venue for him to defend his actions.
Yunusa-Ari, who was sacked over his controversial declaration of Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani) of the All Progressives Party as the winner of the 2023 Adamawa governorship election while collation was still ongoing, resurfaced at the weekend in Bauchi at a press conference with allegations that INEC suppressed evidence proving Binani’s victory.
He accused the commission’s leadership of ignoring critical documents that could have altered the election’s outcome.
Despite being suspended on April 17, 2023, Yunusa-Ari maintains that he acted lawfully and denies allegations that he accepted a ₦2bn bribe to declare Binani the winner.
His failure to appear in court multiple times and reports of him fleeing to Niger Republic have led to calls for his arrest.
Reacting to Yunusa-Ari’s statements about the 2023 Adamawa governorship election, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the commission saw nothing new in his remarks.
Oyekanmi emphasised that the election dispute had already been conclusively settled, with the Supreme Court delivering the final judgment.
INEC also made it clear that it would not comment on Yunusa-Ari’s controversial conduct during the election’s concluding stages, as the issue is currently before the High Court in Yola.
Oyekanmi further noted that since Yunusa-Ari has returned to Nigeria, INEC insists that he should submit himself to due legal process rather than attempting to justify his actions through public declarations.
The CPS said, ‘Our attention has also been drawn to the interview granted by the former REC of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari. There is nothing new in what he said.
‘In any case, the substantive matter of the 2023 Adamawa State Governorship election has been determined through the appropriate judicial process from the trial Tribunal to the Appeal Tribunal and finally settled by the Supreme Court.
‘The Commission will not comment on the propriety or otherwise of his conduct during the concluding part of the election as the matter is right now the subject of litigation at the High Court sitting in Yola and therefore subjudice.
‘Now that he is back in the country, the right place to prove his innocence and the propriety of his action is by availing himself for the due process of law and not a press conference.’
