If the l law takes its course, Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari would spend three years in jail.
Yunusa-Ari came into national prominence on Sunday following his infamous usurpation of the responsibility of Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Mele for Saturday’s Adamawa governorship supplementary election.
The State REC in the middle of the result collations with only the outcomes of eleven of the twenty local governments where the re-run took place announced, and in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who had the advantage of being ahead with over 30,000 vote from the election earlier held on March 18, turned around to declare All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani as winner.
Consequently, the Independent National Electoral Commission overruled Yunusa-Ari while he was given jungle justice treatment by thugs who beat him and stripped him naked.
If the disgraced Adamawa REC’s sin is to go by the book, he would justly be convicted and spend 36-month behind bar.
However, the requirement to sack him is cumbersome.
This, a former Director, Voter Education and Publicity at INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, opined in an interview with Punchng.
Osaze-Uzzi’s remark; “Ordinarily for doing what he did, the REC ought to face some kind of inquisition.
“Under the Constitution, his duty is limited to delegated assignments or duties – what the Commission delegates or assigns to him so the Commission may decide not to delegate or assign any duty to him in the meantime. But only the President can remove him.
“But to remove him, the President can only act on an address by an address by a two-thirds majority of the Senate in accordance with section 6(3) of the Act.
“However, INEC can undertake an inquiry into what happened and I am sure they will do that. But in terms of discipline or removal, it is the President that can do that.
“Also, it is to be noted that any person who announces or publishes an election result knowing the same to be false commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 36 months under section 120(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“And under section 6(2) of the Act, the REC is answerable to the Commission.”
