The suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has reportedly fled to Niger Republic, evading arraignment in court.
During a resumed sitting at the Adamawa State High Court, the defendant’s counsel, Dr. Suleiman Usman (SAN), informed the court that Hudu is currently residing with his wife in Niger Republic, having evaded arraignment in Nigeria. Despite the counsel’s plea to accept service on behalf of Hudu, the court insisted on personal service.
The prosecution counsels, O. A. Atolabi and F. T. Ekyaan, applied for a warrant of arrest against Hudu, as he was nowhere to be found. However, Justice Benjamin Lawan, presiding over the case, noted that Hudu’s counsel had assured the court of producing him and adjourned the matter to December 6 for arraignment.
This marks the second occasion Hudu has failed to appear for arraignment, with the first instance occurring on November 6. He was scheduled to answer questions regarding his conduct as the Adamawa State REC during the governorship election in the state and his illegal assumption of the position of Returning Officer, which led to the inaccurate announcement of the election results.
Following the wrongful declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate as the winner, INEC suspended Hudu and ultimately concluded the collation exercise, announcing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate as the authentic winner. Subsequently, the electoral body filed a lawsuit against Hudu, thus initiating the ongoing court process.
