Disgraced INEC REC, Ari jumps bail, flees to Niger Republic

Disgraced Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Adamawa State, Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has reportedly jumped bail and fled to Niger Republic, according to his lawyer.

Yunusa-Ari’s lawyer, Mr. Usman Suleiman SAN told the court, Wednesday, that the embattled and prosecuted INEC official had left the country in company of one his wives.

It was also reported that Yunusa-Ari was able to flee Nigeria to Niger Republic despite the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)-ordered imposition of travel restrictions on the neighbouring country amid a military coup which ousted the civilian government of Mohammed Bazoum in July, this year.

However, at a scheduled resumed hearing of the case at the Adamawa State High Court, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), CSP Moses Jolugbo informed the presiding judge, Justice Benjamin Manji, that the defendant could not be found and is not in court for the second time in the trial proceedings.

Counsel to INEC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN, prayed the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the fleeing suspended REC.

However, before Justice Benjamin could respond to the request by counsel to INEC Rotimi Jacobs, a lawyer, Usman Suleiman SAN, announced his appearance for Yunusa-Ari, which he said, is according to the instruction of Ari’s son.

Suleiman further told the court that the defendant, Ari is not in the country but in Niger Republic, along with one of his wives.

Justice Manji, therefore, ordered the police to produce Ari on or before the adjourned date of November 23.

It would be recalled that INEC preferred charges against Ari in court for illegally declaring the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani), as winner of the election on April 15, 2023.

However, in May, this year, the police granted bail to Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who had been in their custody since his arrest earlier that month.

The Force Headquarters, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also disclosed that investigations into the case surrounding Ari’s involvement in the illegal declaration of the wrong candidate as winner of the Adamawa Supplementary Governorship election on Sunday, April 16, had commenced.

Yunusa-Ari had on the following day, Sunday, April 16 declared Senator (Mrs) Aisha Ahmed Dahiru (Binani) winner with no supporting data, even as the collation of election results was ongoing; a declaration which was annulled and voided by INEC Headquarters in Abuja, which subsequently suspended, a decision further ratified by the Federal Government via an approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, pending the completion of an investigation by the police.

Yunusa-Ari had on the following day, Sunday, April 17 declared Binani winner with no supporting data, even as the collation of election results was ongoing; a declaration which was annulled and voided by INEC Headquarters in Abuja, which subsequently suspended, a decision further ratified by the Federal Government via an approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, pending the completion of an investigation by the police.

The police confirmed Yunusa-Ari’s arrest, after nearly three weeks in hiding after being declared missing on April 17, a day following his illegal declaration of a candidate as winner in the state’s supplementary governorship election.

Yunusa-Ari was last seen boarding a private jet at the Yola airport to an undisclosed destination shortly after he attempted to subvert the Adamawa State supplementary governorship elections by illegally announcing a winner even as collation of results was still ongoing, Sunday, April 16.

Nearly two weeks after, the IGP acknowledged receiving the letter from the INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, requesting investigation and prosecution of the REC over his role in what the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa described as an electoral coup, just as the police chief had earlier also ordered the sacking of the Adamawa Police Commissioner, Mohammed Barde from the state ‘with immediate effect.’

INEC had declared the action of Ari as void and illegal, as according to it, the job of announcing collated results was that of the Returning Officer (RO) in the state, Prof Mohammed Mele, and not the REC just as the commission wondered why he (Ari) declared a winner while results from nearly 10 of the local government areas were still being collated.

However, in a twist to the controversy, Yunusa-Aril wrote a letter from his hideout, also copied the INEC chairman, Yakubu, accusing some other senior officials of the commission of attempting to aid the rigging of the election, adding further that his name was wrongfully replaced as one of the officials to assist in the collation of results.

From his hideout, Ari wrote to the police, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu and other security agencies, accusing the electoral body of false allegation.