Police have arrested the suspended Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, and other suspects over alleged impropriety in the April 15 supplementary governorship election in the state.

This was confirmed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Tuesday, May 2.

INEC had said the police were on the trail of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, adding that it had written the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, to investigate and prosecute the suspended Adamawa REC.

The electoral umpire earlier said the whereabouts of the REC, who was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari over the controversial supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State, was unknown, stressing that he refused to take phone calls.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, on Sunday, April 23, said information has been provided to help the police to arrest the Adamawa REC.

However, Adejobi, while confirming the arrest of Yunusa-Ari and other suspects on Tuesday, said the suspended REC was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja.

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“The Nigeria Police Force hereby confirms the arrest of Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the Adamawa State 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 Yunusa-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.

“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.

“The IGP has assured of the commitment of the Force to ensure that justice is served in this case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice,” the police spokesperson disclosed.

The Star recalls that Yunusa-Ari declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Binani, as the winner of the poll while the collation of results was still ongoing at the commission’s collation centre in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, on Sunday, April 16.

Yunusa-Ari, who said the APC candidate scored the highest number of votes, did not provide the data or the results with which she won the election.

INEC, while declaring Yunusa-Ari’s action null and void, summoned the Adamawa REC and others involved in the action to the electoral umpire’s headquarters in Abuja.

The commission later directed Yunusa-Ari to immediately stay away from the state office until further notice.

The electoral umpire also ordered its administrative secretary in Adamawa State to take charge of the state office with immediate effect.

INEC, on Tuesday, April 18, declared Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the gubernatorial poll.

The Star