NBA wants to discipline suspended Adamawa REC, set to file petition

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) disclosed that it has commenced the process of instituting disciplinary proceedings against the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Hudu Yunusa-Ari.

The embattled REC, who is also a lawyer, landed himself in hot water after his controversial declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Dahiru popularly known as Binani, as the winner of the April 15 supplementary governorship election in the North-East state.

After days of evading arrest, Ari was eventually brought in for questioning by the Nigerian police on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, and he's currently under investigation for his role in the unconstitutional act.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Section of Public Interest and Development (SPIDEL) of NBA, Monday Ubani, said the legal body is planning to take a petition against the suspended REC as a member of the Bar.

Ubani made this known while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

He said, “This is one of the suggestions that were made; that a body like NBA should not allow such a man who brought what I would consider a national disgrace to NBA to go scot-free.”

Speaking further, Ubani noted that a report must be submitted to the NBA disciplinary committee before the body can investigate Ari's conduct during the national assignment as REC.

According to him, there is a need for the Bar to follow up on the matte to see the conclusion of the anomalies.

“If he is innocent, let us be told that he is innocent. If he is not innocent, then the next thing that should follow is prosecution. This is because it sends the right signal that we are a nation that wants to protect our integrity,” he added.

Pulse reports that Ari had argued that he acted within the law in order to avert an impending danger from the delay in announcing the results.

In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police to clear his name, the embattled REC explained that he acted having realised that the results brought by the presiding officers from the 69 polling units, which he did not sign, differed from those uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.