Adamawa REC Yunusa-Ari to report at police headquarters May 5

Fleeing Adamawa resident electoral commissioner Hudu Yunusa-Ari is expected to turn himself in to the police on May 5, Peoples Gazette has learnt.

Mr Yunusa-Ari, who has not been seen since illegally declaring Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the Adamawa governorship election, is scheduled to be at the police headquarters in Abuja on Friday to respond to pertinent enquiries.

He was asked to report to the police headquarters by 10:00 a.m. and meet with a police officer, Jolugbo Moses, with the mobile number for the police contact provided.

“On arrival, you are to contact the team leader CSP Jolugbo Moses on mobile number: 0803****,” the letter of invitation said. Peoples Gazette redacted Mr Moses’ telephone number to protect his privacy.

Although Mr Yunusa-Ari’s whereabouts seem unknown, persons close to him said he intends to honour the invitation to give an account of the supplementary election, particularly the circumstances that led to his hasty pronouncement of Mrs Binani as the winner.

“He has received the invitation and will be honouring it on May 5,” a source familiar with the REC’s plans told The Gazette.

His explanation can either strengthen the charges levelled against him or absolve him of any wrongdoing.

President Muhammadu Buhari has already issued an order for his arrest for falsely announcing Mrs Binani as governor-elect.

Interpol has also shown interest in Mr Yunusa-Ari’s matter as the bureau, in a letter, said it had begun investigating a “case of conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace, violation of oaths of neutrality, impersonating a collation/returning officer, disobedience to lawful order/directive, impersonation and announcing false governorship result of the just concluded Adamawa State governorship supplementary election.”

In a letter last week, Mr Yunusa-Ari justified his actions and insisted that Mrs Binani got the most valid votes. But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said incumbent Ahmadu Fintiri won the polls by 430,821 votes against Mrs Binani, who polled 396,788 votes.