The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has filed a six-count charges against the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),
Hudu Yunusa-Ari at a Hight Court in Yola.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement on Thursday stating that, it filed the charges in the Court after it reviewed the case file from the police which had already established a prima facie case against him.
It could be recalled that, the suspended REC caused a widespread condemnation after he declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aisha Dahiru Binani, as the winner of the Governorship election while votes were still being counted and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Ahmadu Finitiri was in a clear lead.
Ari who defended his action, said he announced results of 69 polling units in the April 15 supplementary election claiming that it was due to security pressure.
He claimed that he observed that the results brought by the presiding officers from the 69 polling units, which he did not sign, differed from those uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal.
In a letter addressed to the then Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, copied INEC chairman and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, the REC insisted that, he acted within the law to avert the imminent danger which a delay in announcing the results portends.
He said: “I had the breakdown of the valid votes scored by the two leading candidates in the supplementary election, using the results from the polling units as collated into all relevant forms EC8B, C, D and E respectively by properly and legally appointed and recognised collation officers and my humble self as the Adamawa State Chief Collation Officer and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).”
However, the electoral body later dismissed his declaration and former President Muhammadu Buhari approved his suspension which the commission requested.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) later arrested him but was granted administrative bail and asked to report to the headquarters of the NPF every week..
