President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly’s approval to remove three suspended Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged misconduct during the 2023 general elections.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio conveyed the request in a letter during Wednesday’s plenary session.
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The affected commissioners are Hudu Yunusa-Ari (Adamawa), Ike Uzochukwu (Abia), and Nura Ali (Sokoto).
Background of the suspensions
The three RECs were suspended by INEC in 2023 over allegations of electoral malpractices and irregularities in the conduct of the elections in their respective states.
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Mr Yunusa-Ari was suspended on 17 April 2023 after he unilaterally declared Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as the Adamawa State governorship rerun winner while collation was still ongoing.
His announcement was widely condemned as illegal, and INEC swiftly nullified it. Subsequently, he was charged with unprofessional conduct at the Adamawa State High Court.
Earlier this year, his attempt to halt court proceedings was dismissed for lacking merit.
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Mr Ali, the Sokoto electoral commissioner, was suspended on 6 March 2023 through a letter signed by INEC Secretary Rose Orlaran-Anthony.
While INEC did not explicitly state the reasons for his suspension, reports suggested it was linked to alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections in the state.
The Abia REC was also suspended in March 2023 after the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state were marred by significant logistical failures. Voting was delayed, and there were reports of irregularities that affected the credibility of the electoral process.
Tinubu’s request to Senate
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu emphasised that the suspensions occurred before his administration took office and requested legislative backing to formally remove the electoral officials.
“The Senate is invited to note that the three resident electoral commissioners have been suspended for misconduct since March 2022 before the advent of the current administration,” he said.
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He urged the Senate to handle the matter swiftly and assured lawmakers of his highest consideration.
“While I trust that the senate will consider this request expeditiously, please accept distinguished senators and distinguished senate president, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
Next steps
The Senate is expected to deliberate on
Mr Tinubu’s request and vote on whether to approve the dismissal of the three suspended RECs.
Given the gravity of the allegations, their removal would pave the way for new nominees, whom President Tinubu is expected to announce soon to fill the vacant positions.
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