The National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, has condemned the action of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Hudu Ari, labelling it as an aberration.
INEC has suspended Ari over his controversial announcement of the Supplementary governorship election results in Adamawa State while collation was not yet concluded.
Okoye said Ari’s action is in isolation from what other Resident Electoral Commissioners of INEC have been doing in other states of the country.
“What he did is just an aberration, I know that we have very fine Resident Electoral Commissioners in various states of the federation and they know the extent of their powers and they have been conforming to the duties assigned to them by the commission.
“So I want to view his behaviours as an isolated event and do not represent what our Resident Electoral Commissioners are all about because I know that some of them work assiduously to ensure that we delivered on our mandate.”
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved the immediate suspension from office of Ari, pending the completion of an investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the actions of the REC during the Supplementary election in Adamawa State.
The INEC National Commissioner said that the Commission had received a report from the Inspector General of Police and has commenced the process of prosecuting the controversial Adamawa REC.
“We wrote to the Inspector General of Police and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. We have received a response from the Inspector General of Police and they have already commenced an investigation.
Okoye also added, “My understanding is that the moment the Inspector General of Police concludes the investigation regarding the REC and every other individual who is involved and a prima facie case is established against the REC the file will be made available to the commission and the commission will begin prosecution of the REC.”
