INEC to prosecute suspended Adamawa REC, Others for electoral offenses

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is now in possession of the case files were of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari and other 215 people who were indicted for various offences during the 2023 general elections.

The case file were submitted to INEC after the conclusion of investigation of the conduct of the Adamawa State REC and the other offenders, Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said on Tuesday.

INEC Chairman spoke in Abuja during the commission meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), which commenced the commission post-election review of the general elections.

Yakubu said INEC was presently looking at all the evidence of infractions during the election, including the prosecution of offenders.

He added that INEC was looking at the activities of all actors involved in the election, including some of the commission’s high-ranking officials.

“I can confirm that the Nigeria Police concluded its investigation of the conduct of our REC in Adamawa State and submitted the case file to us. Appropriate action will be taken in a matter of days and Nigerians will be fully informed.

“I can also confirm that we have received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following their arrest and the conclusion of investigation into electoral offences arising from the 2023 General Election.’’ Yakubu said.

He said that INEC was working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the alleged offenders.

“Already, the NBA has submitted a list of 427 lawyers across the country who have volunteered to render pro bono services to the Commission.

“They are not charging legal fees but by mutual agreement the Commission will provide a token amount to cover for filing fees/expenses. We are most grateful to NBA and its President, Yakubu Maikyau, for this historic collaboration.

“Similarly, we are working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the prosecution of cases relating to vote buying and associated violations,’’ Yakubu said.

He also said that INEC had so far received reports from 54 accredited national and international observers.

Yakubu pledged that INEC would give equal prominence to all the reports and review them in a holistic manner to ensure that necessary lessons were learnt from their conclusions and recommendations.

“As a Commission, we hope to continue to count on the support of stakeholders to improve the electoral process in Nigeria,’’ he said