Olusegun Ariyo
The dismissed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has alleged that he was pressured to declare Governor Ahmadu Fintiri the winner of the controversial 2023 governorship election, despite possessing evidence that the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, rightfully won.
Speaking in Bauchi on Saturday in an interview with select journalists, Yunusa-Ari accused both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Election Tribunal of deliberately ignoring evidence of widespread irregularities.
According to him, he and other officials were pressured to declare Fintiri the winner under threats to their security.
Swearing by the Holy Qur’an, he insisted that he acted in good faith and followed electoral guidelines.
He also accused INEC’s ICT head in Adamawa, Bala Aji, of compromising the election, alleging that Aji handed over 20,000 sensitive election documents to Governor Fintiri.
He further claimed that the documents were found in a private house linked to the governor, where top government officials were allegedly manipulating them.
Yunusa-Ari also alleged that Aji distributed BVAS machines and bribed INEC staff with foreign currency on election day, calling it a blatant abuse of office.
He lamented that his reports exposing those violations were ignored by INEC headquarters.
He said, “The dismissal is not my problem. The civil service is governed by civil service rules, procedures, and services.
“In law, there is what we call the golden rule of natural justice which says that you must be heard. Even God will never punish anybody without sending the messages, the prophets, and the scriptures.
“The refusal of INEC to collect my letters and then the tribunal said they are not using my evidence. Even as an ordinary judge, what do you say to that?” He asked
Ari insisted that he had substantial evidence to support his position but was never invited to present his case.
He displayed documents he claimed were authentic result sheets, along with letters he sent to INEC.
“They should have acted immediately, but my report was swept under the carpet. This is one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life,” he stated.
He decried being denied a fair hearing, claiming INEC and the Tribunal dismissed all his evidence.
Dismissing allegations of receiving a N2 billion bribe, Yunusa-Ari said he is consulting his family on his next steps, stating that the media trial has severely damaged his reputation
.Mr. Yunusa-Ari was suspended on April 17, 2023, after unilaterally declaring Aisha Binani, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship rerun election while collation was still in progress.
His announcement was widely condemned as illegal, prompting the INEC to swiftly nullify the declaration.
He was later arraigned before the Adamawa State High Court on charges of unprofessional conduct.
