BREAKING: “There Were Threats Against Me”: Ex-INEC REC Recently Sacked By Tinubu Finally Breaks Silence

Former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari, has spoken out for the first time since his dismissal, insisting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 governorship election, Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, was the rightful winner.

Ari, who was removed from office following his controversial declaration of Binani as the winner before collation was concluded, maintains that he has sufficient documentary proof to justify his actions.

As reported by Daily Trust, the embattled former REC claimed he faced intense pressure to announce incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner.

“I made my decision based on electoral guidelines and the facts available to me. There were threats against me and other electoral officials to declare the incumbent governor or risk our safety,” he said, holding a copy of the Holy Qur’an.

Allegations of Electoral Misconduct

Ari further alleged that the governorship election was riddled with irregularities and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Election Tribunal of ignoring critical evidence he presented.

“I discovered that my Head of ICT, Bala Aji, compromised the process. He handed over about 20,000 election documents to the governor,” he claimed.

He also revealed that security agencies, including the police, had investigated a private residence allegedly linked to the Adamawa state Government, where sensitive election materials were found.

“We conducted an investigation alongside the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies. It took time to gain access to the property, and when we did, we found key government officials inside,” he stated.

Considering Legal Action Over Dismissal

On his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu, Ari said he was still weighing his options on whether to challenge the decision in court, Vanguard reported.

“My dismissal is not my biggest concern, but the damage done to my reputation through the media trial is troubling. I never collected N2 billion from any politician,” he lamented.

He defended his role in the electoral process, emphasizing that he had successfully overseen the presidential and National Assembly elections in Adamawa State.

The controversy, he said, only emerged during the governorship and state assembly elections, which involved 69 polling units.

Ari reiterated his commitment to fairness and called on Nigerians to uphold transparency in elections.

Tinubu to sack 3 INEC RECs

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate’s approval to sack three suspended Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from Abia, Adamawa, and Sokoto states.

The request, which was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was read during Wednesday’s plenary session.