INEC has said that it is unaware of the whereabouts of its
Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Ari. Ari was the
official who illegally declared Aishatu Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election last Sunday.
Both INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari have authorised
Ari’s suspension from office and his investigation and possible prosecution by
the police.
INEC said Ari has not responded to calls made to his phone
and flouted the directive to present himself to the headquarters on Monday.
INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, disclosed this during a
Friday interview with Channels Television.
“Up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know
his whereabouts,” Okoye said. “We don’t know where he is because, after this
particular incident, the commission wrote him and also called him on the phone.
He never returned any of the calls, he never answered any of the calls,” he
said. “We asked him to report to the commission on Sunday we didn’t see him, we
asked him to report on Monday we didn’t see him. So up till this moment, he has
not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts.”
Okoye said the commission has written the police to probe
and prosecute Ari, making it the responsibility of the police to declare Ari
wanted if need be.
“If they feel that his presence is absolutely needed during
the investigation and he is nowhere to be found, it is their prerogative and
discretion to declare him wanted,” he said.
“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 investigation.
“Our understanding is that the moment the inspector-general of police concludes the investigation relating to 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 initiate the prosecution of the REC.”
HUDU ARI |
let them just declared him WANTED
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