PDP tells IGP to arrest, prosecute suspended Adamawa REC Yunusa-Ari

The PDP charged the Inspector General of Police to immediately catch, arrest, and prosecute Mr Yunusa-Ari in compliance with the court order.

News Agency of Nigeria • June 6, 2024

Hudu Yunusa-Ari

The People Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, to intensify efforts to arrest and prosecute Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended INEC resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa.

The opposition party said arresting and prosecuting Mr Yunusa-Yari would be in obedience to a court order.

The party’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Yunusa-Ari was suspended over an attempt to usurp the powers of the state returning officer when he declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Aishatu Binani, winner of the April 15, 2023, Adamawa governorship election.

At the point of the declaration, the collation of the election results was incomplete.

Mr Ologunagba described the action as a civilian coup and an attempt to subvert Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

The High Court of Justice of Adamawa State, No 9, Yola Division, has issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Yunusa-Ari dated May 21, 2024.

The court ordered the IGP to apprehend and produce Mr Yunusa-Ari to appear before it to answer the charges preferred against him.

The order of court was received at the office of the IGP on May 23.

He said that since Mr Yunusa-Ari’s removal, he has been on the run.

“The failure of the Nigerian police so far to apprehend and bring Yunusa-Ari to justice is capable of creating a bad precedence and encouraging other public officers to act with impunity.

“There is a tendency for them to behave as if there are no consequences for acts contrary to law and their Oath of Office’’, he said.

The PDP, therefore, charges the Inspector General of Police to immediately catch, arrest, and prosecute Mr Yunusa-Ari in compliance with the court order.

“This is especially as there are allegations and apprehension in the public space that Yunusa-Ari has perfected plans to escape from the country and evade trial.

“The PDP insists that Yunusa-Ari must be made to face the full wrath of the law for his assault against our democracy,” he said.

(NAN)

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