From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Senate on Wednesday approved the termination of the appointment of Barr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, alongside two other Resident Electoral Commissioners for violating the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission Act.
Yunusa-Ari was suspended by INEC in 2023 after controversially declaring the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Aishatu Binani, as the winner of the Adamawa governorship election while collation of results was still ongoing.
President Bola Tinubu, in a formal request to the Senate on Wednesday, sought the termination of Yunusa-Ari’s appointment as well as those of Dr. Nura Ali of Sokoto and Professor Ikemefuna Uzochukwu of Abia.
Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who sponsored the motion, invoked Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the Senate to approve such requests.
“The aforementioned Resident Electoral Commissioners were earlier suspended in 2023 over allegations of violating the Electoral Act, compromising election processes, and abandoning their duties without valid justification,” Bamidele stated.
Following deliberations, the Senate, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, unanimously approved the termination after it was put to a voice vote during plenary.
