Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, to defend himself in court rather than through a news conference.
The Chief Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, made the statement in Abuja on Monday, February 10, advising Yunusa-Ari to take advantage of the legal process to address allegations of misconduct during the 2023 Adamawa governorship election.
Yunusa-Ari faces a six-count charge relating to irregularities in the March 18, 2023, election. He was suspended in April 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after declaring Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the election while collation of results was still ongoing. INEC nullified the announcement, summoned Yunusa-Ari to its headquarters, and subsequently suspended him.
During a recent press conference in Bauchi State, Yunusa-Ari claimed he had been denied fair hearing and maintained that Binani won the election. However, Oyekanmi dismissed his claims, reiterating that the proper venue to address the matter was the court.
“There is nothing new in what he said. 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,” Oyekanmi stated.
He emphasized that Yunusa-Ari’s conduct during the election is under litigation at the High Court in Yola, making it inappropriate for INEC to comment further. “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,” he added.
Yunusa-Ari has previously claimed that he made multiple attempts to explain his actions to INEC through letters. He alleged that officials were pressured to declare Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner, insisting he deserved a fair hearing.
Earlier, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit filed by Yunusa-Ari in February 2024, seeking protection against arrest, detention, or prosecution. Justice James Omotosho ruled that there was no legal basis to grant him immunity from prosecution.
In January 2025, Yunusa-Ari requested the Adamawa High Court to adjourn his case indefinitely. Meanwhile, the Senate recently approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to dismiss Yunusa-Ari and the RECs of Abia and Sokoto States over allegations of misconduct.
