Buhari authorises the suspension of Adamawa resident electoral commissioner Yunusa-Ari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate suspension of the Adamawa State resident electoral commissioner Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari for announcing am un unsanctioned result during the recent governorship elections.

Over the weekend, Mr Yunusa-Ari’s declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the Adamawa State governor-elect, following Saturday’s supplementary election. He did so while the votes were still being counted despite the fact that he was not legally empowered to do so, as this was the job of the returning officer.

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has since disassociated itself from the pronouncement and Mr Yunusa-Ari has been asked to stay away from its Yola headquarters in Adamawa State. There have since been calls for the arrest and prosecution of Mr Yunusa-Ari for his actions.

Wading into the matter, Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the federal government, said Mr Yunusa-Ari's suspension would subsist pending the completion of an investigation by the inspector-general of police on his conduct. His spokesman Willie Bassey, added that President Buhari in on to the matter.

Mr Bassey said: “The president has directed the immediate investigation and prosecution, if found liable, of Hudu Yunusa Ari by the inspector-general of police. Also, the president has directed investigation by the inspector-general of police, director-general of the Department of State Services and the commandant-general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

"They are to investigate the role of their officers in aiding and abetting the conduct/actions of Hudu Yunusa Ari and if found culpable, appropriate disciplinary actions to be meted out to them."