Recently sacked by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu along two other colleagues by Senate mandate, Adamawa State’s former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has said the termination of his appointment was wrong and he had justifiably declared that Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had rightfully won the 2023 governorship election.
Swearing by the Holy Qur’an, Yunusa-Ari claimed it was wrong to have pressured electoral officers into announcing Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as the election winner for Adamawa in 2023.
Yunusa-Ari and two other RECs were suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged misconduct during the 2023 general elections in their respective states.
The affected commissioners are Hudu Yunusa-Ari (Adamawa), Ike Uzochukwu (Abia), and Nura Ali (Sokoto).
President Tinubu last Wednesday formally requested the National Assembly’s approval to remove the three suspended RECs over alleged misconduct during the 2023 general elections.
The three RECs were suspended by INEC in 2023 over allegations of electoral malpractices and irregularities in the conduct of the elections in their respective states.
Yunusa-Ari was suspended on 17th April 2023 after he usurped the role of the Electoral Officer and unilaterally declared Senator Ms Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, as the Adamawa State governorship rerun winner while collation was still ongoing.
However, he has claimed that he faced pressure to announce Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as the winner of the contentious 2023 governorship election even when he claimed to have evidence that Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), had rightfully won.
During an interview with select journalists in Bauchi on Saturday, Yunusa-Ari alleged that both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal intentionally disregarded evidence of widespread irregularities.
He claimed that he and other officials faced pressure to declare Fintiri the winner due to threats against their security.
With his hand on the Holy Qur’an, he firmly asserted that he acted in good faith and adhered to electoral guidelines.
He also accused Bala Aji, the head of ICT for INEC in Adamawa, of compromising the election by allegedly providing Governor Fintiri with 20,000 sensitive election documents.
He also alleged that the documents were discovered in a private residence associated with the Governor, where high-ranking government officials were reportedly tampering with them.
Yunusa-Ari further claimed that Aji distributed BVAS machines and bribed INEC staff with foreign currency on election day, describing it as a blatant abuse of power.
He expressed regret that his reports revealing those violations were disregarded by INEC headquarters.
He stated, “The dismissal is not my responsibility. The civil service operates according to its own rules, procedures, and regulations.”
In legal terms, there’s a principle known as the golden rule of natural justice stating that individuals have the right to be heard. Similarly, it’s believed that even God does not punish without first delivering messages through prophets and scriptures.
He asked, “What do you say to the fact that INEC refused to accept my letters and the tribunal decided not to use my evidence? Even as an ordinary judge?”
Ari claimed to have substantial evidence supporting his position, yet he was never given the opportunity to present his case.
He presented what he asserted were genuine result sheets, along with the letters he had sent to INEC.
“They should have taken immediate action, but my report was ignored. This remains one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life,” he said.
He expressed strong disapproval of not receiving a fair hearing, alleging that INEC and the Tribunal rejected all his evidence.
Yunusa-Ari has denied allegations of accepting a N2 billion bribe and mentioned that he is discussing his next steps with his family.
His announcement was broadly criticized as unlawful, leading the INEC to promptly invalidate the declaration.
He was subsequently brought before the Adamawa State High Court, facing charges of unprofessional conduct.
Earlier this year, his effort to stop the court proceedings was rejected due to a lack of merit.
