The Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) has filed a six-count charge against the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) at the Adamawa State High Court sitting in Yola.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, who disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, said the commission held its regular weekly meeting and discussed among other issues the progress with the prosecution of electoral offenders.
It would be recalled that at the meeting with the RECs two days ago on Tuesday, July 4, the commission confirmed the receipt of case files from the police following the conclusion of an investigation into alleged electoral offences during the 2023 general elections, including the one involving the embattled Adamawa REC, Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari.
Okoye said, “As provided by Section 145(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, an offence committed under the act shall be tried in a magistrate’s court or a high court of a state in which the offence is committed or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
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“Furthermore, Section 145(2) of the act provides that a prosecution under the act shall be undertaken by legal officers of the commission or any legal practitioner appointed by it.
“Having reviewed the case file from the police which established a prima facie case against Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari, the commission has filed a six-count charge against him at the Adamawa State High Court sitting in Yola.”
He said that consequently, the court fixed Wednesday, July 12, 2023, for the commencement of the trial.
He also said that the commission was working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the diligent prosecution of other cases.
Recall that INEC’s Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, assured Nigerians of immediate action on the matter.
