Suspended Adamawa REC on the run – INEC

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Hudu Ari, has disappeared without trace.

This is according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Festus Okoye.

On Sunday, Ari stirred controversy when he announced the supplementary governorship election results in Adamawa State, while collation was not yet concluded.

He had illegally declared Senator Aisha Dahiru, aka Binnani, as the election winner.

INEC had overruled the REC and summoned him to Abuja.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Okoye said: “We don’t know where he is because, after this particular incident, the Commission wrote him and also called him on the phone. He never returned any of the calls, he never answered any of the calls.

“We asked him to report to the Commission on Sunday we didn’t see him, we asked him to report on Monday we didn’t see him. So up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts.”

On if he thinks Ari will be declared wanted for failing to report to the Commission or answer its calls, Okoye said that is the responsibility of the Nigerian Police.

He said: “Well, that is the responsibility of the Nigerian police. If they feel that his presence is absolutely needed during the investigation and he is nowhere to be found, it is their prerogative and discretion to declare him wanted.”

On Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a probe of all the security operatives involved in the illegal act.