Details have emerged on how the Police arrested suspended Adamawa REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Details have emerged on how the Police arrested suspended Adamawa REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari. Since April 16 when Hudu Yunusa-Ari, went into hiding, the Police eventually arrested him.
The police arrested the embattled REC in Abuja on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi.
Adejobi said, “Barrister Ari, who was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja on Tuesday 2nd May 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.
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“The Inspector-General of Police 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 Inspector-General of Police has assured of the commitment of the Force to ensuring that justice is served in this case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice.”
The development comes hours after Ari said in a BBC Hausa interview that he would surrender himself to the police two weeks after he went into hiding.
“I will surely turn myself into the police. Before, there was no summon from the police but now there is one. I will soon come out from hiding,” the embattled REC had stated.
The suspended REC had also said he never regretted announcing Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Yunusa-Ari who was the REC for the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State, stirred controversy on Sunday, April 16, when he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, as the winner of the polls, a move that was not within his constitutionally given authority.
Asides from the announcement being a usurpation of the Returning Officer’s office, Barr Ari doubly-erred in that he announced the results of an election whose collation process had not been concluded, and this caused tension within the state, and stirred great debate across the nation, with observers calling what transpired in Adamawa State, a shame.
The situation prompted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to nullify Ari’s decision and suspended him while President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a full investigation on the electoral commissioner and the security personnel that were around him when he made the declaration.
INEC subsequently concluded the election and announced the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the authentic winner of the drama-filled poll.