Days after Mr. Hudu Ari Esq., suspended Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Adamawa State announced an unauthorized result of the Governorship election in the state , security agents are spreading their nets to apprehend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official. Findings in Abuja revealed that the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services
Days after Mr. Hudu Ari Esq., suspended Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Adamawa State announced an unauthorized result of the Governorship election in the state , security agents are spreading their nets to apprehend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official.
Findings in Abuja revealed that the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are involved in the discreet manhunt for Mr. Ari whose action almost set Adamawa state and indeed the nation ablaze.
A source said the embattled senior public servant may be declared wanted next week.
The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, on Tuesday ordered the removal of the Commissioner of Police on election duty in Adamawa State, Mohammed Barde, over his alleged role in the illegal declaration of the APC candidate, Aisha Dahiru, as the winner of the state governorship election on Sunday.
Police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi who disclosed this said the IGP has directed the Gombe State Police Commissioner, Etim Equa, to proceed to Adamawa to conclude the electoral exercise.
Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Audi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the Adamawa commandant of NSCDC will face the management team to give details of his role in the illegal declaration of Senator Dahiru.
Dr. Audi ordered the Adamawa commander of NSCDC to immediately hand over the command to his deputy in order to ensure smooth investigation
Mr Ari, however, disappeared into the thin air shortly after he declared Senator Aishatu Dahiru popularly known as Binani as winner of the Governorship Election In Adamawa state.
To mitigate the damage the declaration would have caused, INEC headquarters, on Sunday, immediately issued a disclaimer and directed Mr. Ari to proceed to Abuja. He never did. The electoral umpire repeated the directive on Monday, again, he did not come.
On Friday, INEC, said it was unaware of the whereabouts of Mr. Ari who both INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari have authorised Mr Ari’s suspension from office and his investigation and possible prosecution by the police.
The Commission through the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Mr Festus Okoye during a Friday interview with Channels Television said Mr Ari has not responded to calls made to his phone and flouted the directive to present himself to the headquarters on Monday.
“Up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts,” Mr Okoye stressed.
‘’Ari’s whereabout is unknown’
However, since the Sunday declaration, Mr Ari’s whereabout have been unknown to INEC. He has not responded to phone calls by the commission and failed to obey the directive to present himself at the commission’s headquarters.
“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. 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,”Mr Okoye said.
Mr Okoye said the commission has written the police to probe and prosecute Mr Ari, making it the responsibility of the police to declare Mr Ari wanted if need be.
According to him:”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.
