Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended resident electoral commissioner for Adamawa state, has been charged on six counts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
These charges were officially filed in Yola’s high court, the capital city of the state.
In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC stated that the decision to charge Yunusa-Ari was made after a careful examination of the police case file, which they feel offers a strong case against him.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) first detained Yunusa-Ari in response to complaints about his conduct during the governorship election in Adamawa.
Following the arrest, he was granted an administrative bail under the condition that he report to the NPF headquarters every weekday.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye on Thursday said, “As provided by Section 145(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, an offence committed under the Act shall be triable in a Magistrate Court or a High Court of a State in which the offence is committed, or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“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 as a result, the Court set the commencement of the trial for Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
He added that the commission and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are collaborating to vigorously pursue other cases.
Ada Peter
