Suspended Sokoto Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Nura Ali, received a $150,000 bribe from politicians to manipulate the 2023 general elections in the state, a report from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the State Security Services (SSS) disclosed.
Mr Ali is one of three electoral commissioners suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2023 over allegations of electoral malpractice.
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The other affected commissioners are Hudu Yunusa-Ari (Adamawa) and Ike Uzochukwu (Abia).
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu requested the National Assembly’s approval to remove them from office.
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The report
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, presented security reports that implicated Mr Ali in the bribery scandal as part of his motion to invoke Section 157 of the Nigerian Constitution, empowering President Tinubu to formally remove the suspended electoral officers from office.
Mr Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, told the Senate that Mr Ali confessed to receiving the bribe during interrogation by the SSS.
“Senate notes from security reports from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services (State Security Service) that Dr Nura Ali was indicted for compromising in 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections through acts of incompetence and corruption, whereby he reportedly confessed to having received the sum of $150,000 from politicians upon investigation by the DSS,” he said.
Senate votes to remove suspended electoral officers
During Wednesday’s plenary, more than ⅔ of the Senate voted to terminate the appointments of the suspended electoral commissioners following President Tinubu’s request.
The president’s request, in line with Section 157(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, required a ⅔ majority of the Senate to approve the removal of the electoral officials.
At the time of the debate, the Senate chamber was scanty as majority of the senators had left.
However, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Tahir Monguno, confirmed that 94 senators, including principal and presiding officers, signed the attendance register when the plenary commenced, surpassing the constitutional requirement for the vote.
Motion
Mr Bamidele, while presenting his motion, also emphasised that the suspended RECs were accused of compromising elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.
He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the motion in order to sustain the ideals of morality and the tenets of corporate governance in Nigeria.
Senator calls for Anti-Corruption Probe
The motion was seconded by Minority Leader, Abba Moro (Benue South), who argued that removing the RECs would serve as a warning to others in positions of authority.
“I’m aware that this present administration has pledged to fight corruption. The termination of appointments of these officers will serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.
He urged anti-corruption agencies to immediately investigate and prosecute the affected officials to ensure accountability.
Following deliberations, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to a vote, and all senators in attendance supported it.
Mr Akpabio then announced the Senate’s resolution, which will be forwarded to President Tinubu for final approval.
The final decision on whether to sack the suspended electoral commissioners or not rests with President Tinubu.
However, with the nature of the allegations against the RECs, many people expect the president to accept Senate’s and approve the removal and direct law enforcement agencies to take further action.
Allegations against the suspended RECs
Mr Yunusa-Ari was suspended on 17 April, 2023, after he unilaterally declared Aisha Binani, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, as the winner of the Adamawa State governorship rerun election while collation was still ongoing.
His announcement was widely condemned as illegal, and INEC swiftly nullified it.
Subsequently, he was charged to court for unprofessional conduct at the Adamawa State High Court.
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Earlier this year, his attempt to halt court proceedings was dismissed for lacking merit.
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 her suspension, reports suggested it was linked to alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections in Sokoto 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.
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