[News] Suspended Adamawa REC, others restricted to Abuja; passports seized as part of preconditions for administrative bail.

The suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, has had his passport seized and he has also been restricted to the Federal Capital Territory as part of preconditions for his administrative bail.

 

Yunusa-Ari is currently being probed by the police on the conduct/actions of the REC during the Supplementary election in Adamawa State.According to Punch,  a senator stood surety for Yunusa-Ari before his release after being detained for three days at the Force Headquarters.

Also released are two commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission and other officials undergoing interrogation at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, in connection with the controversy surrounding the April 15 supplementary election in Adamawa.

 

The INEC commissioners and other officials under probe were also mandated to deposit their passports, and are currently restricted to Abuja, while on administrative bail.

“The suspended REC and other officials being probed have been granted administrative bail, and they’ve been released. The investigation team have interrogated the Yunusa-Ari and other suspects, and their passports have been deposited at the FHQ as part of the preconditions for their bail.

“During interrogation, the REC alleged that some INEC officials in Adamawa had midnight meetings with leaders of a particular political party, and allegedly took bribes to manipulate the election results. However, the IG and the investigation team agreed to investigate further,” a top source told Punch on Friday,

 

The indicted officials, including Yunusa-Ari, were grilled by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team headed by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police and head of Interpol, Nigeria, Garba Umar, and other members of the Police Management Team, including the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba.

 

It was gathered that the IG queried Yunusa-Ari and others on allegations of bribery during the April 15 supplementary election wherein the suspended REC declared the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as governor-elect, while the collation of results was yet to be concluded.