Human Rights Commission Decries Role Of Police In Suspended Adamawa REC Saga

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has decried the delayed prosecution of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, by the Nigeria Police Force, saying justice in such a case should move swiftly.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Adamawa Governorship election was initially declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 18 and April 15 was later fixed for a supplementary election.

Yunusa had walked into the collation center in company of security operatives and announced the guber candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Aishatu Binani as the winner of the election without reading the actual scores of the various candidates and despite the suspension of collation.

The announcement by Hudu, though accepted by Binani, was declared null and void by the INEC national headquarters and the conclusion of the collation of results was recommenced on April 18 and concluded with the incumbent Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri emerging winner of the polls with 430,869 votes.

Hudu went into hiding after declaring the result on April 15 but 17 days later, the police said he “is currently in Police custody and is being grilled to ascertain the motives and motivations behind his alleged improper actions during the supplementary elections in Adamawa State.”

The police force promised to ensure that justice is served in the case.

But speaking during its monthly review forum on human rights and the 2023 general elections, lead counsel of the NHRC, Hillary Ogbonna, said the suspended Adamawa REC ought to have been arrested and prosecuted swiftly without delay especially when the development happened in presence of security operatives.

“We also view that the alleged crime of the now former resident electoral commissioner of Adamawa state was committed in the full glare of law enforcement. And the human rights violations that came with that illegal declaration that was made unfortunately were also done in the full glare of law enforcement.

“And we are happy that the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Service Corps have swung into action upon the directive of the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the role of these law enforcement agents and also bring them to book.

“The Commission also frowns at the delay in the arrest and prosecution of the REC of Adamawa state; gladly we heard the news yesterday that he has either been arrested or turned himself in.

“Whichever the case, when a huge constitutional infraction like this happens, one of the reassurances of the rule of law is that justice moves swiftly and when justice does not move swiftly as we have seen in this case, people begin to wonder as to whether these acts are to be condoned as serious as they are,” Ogbonna said.

Touching on other areas, the Commission observed attacks on journalists and freedom of press during the 2023 elections.

“10 journalists were intimidated and chased out of the polling Unit by thugs in Abeokuta North.

“Security officials excluded a handful of journalists from covering the Collation center in Kano state,” Ogbonna said.

Ogbonna considered an attack on media organizations and intimidation of the judiciary as the new threats associated with the 2023 general election and its outcome.

On the part of the Nigerian Bar Association, its Second Vice President, Clement Chukwuemeka, said the election has come and gone and attention has been shifted to the judiciary.

He expressed hope that the Tribunals “will definitely discharge their duty without fear or favor.”