He’s an aberration! Okoye condemns Adamawa REC, says he’ll be prosecuted

Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education Committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC}, has described the action of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner of Adamawa State, Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari as an aberration and an isolated case.

Ripples Nigeria reports that INEC suspended Ari over his illegal announcement of the supplementary governorship election results in Adamawa State while collation was not yet concluded.

Okoye, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday morning, said Ari’s action is in isolation from what other Resident Electoral Commissioners of INEC have been doing in other states of the country.

Read also:INEC presents certificate of return to 13 newly elected Kano lawmakers

He said: “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,” Okoye said.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, had, on Thursday, approved Ari’s immediate suspension pending the completion of an investigation by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.

Okoye also said that INEC 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.

“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,” Okoye added.

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