The Senate on Wednesday approved the termination of the appointment of three Resident Electoral Commissioners from Abia, Adamawa and Sokoto.
The approval is sequel to an Executive communication from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, requesting the Senate to invoke Section 157(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, to formally terminate the appointment of Dr. Nura Ali, Sokoto State REC, Barrister Hudu Yunus Ari, Adamawa State REC and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu of Abia State.
The trio RECs were earlier suspended in 2023 over allegations of infractions of Electoral Act; compromise of elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.
“Notes from security reports from the office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services that Dr. Nura Ali was indicted for compromising the 2023 Presidential and the 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.
“Barrister. Hudu Yunusa Ari was suspended by the former President Muhammad Buhari, after a prima facie case was instituted against him for usurping the power of of the Returning Officer to declare the governorship election results and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu was suspended for undermining election processes by mishandling of logistics and abandonment of Governorship and State Assembly elections as well as his refusal to reschedule supplementary elections,” he said.
Akpabio said by virtue of the provisions of section 157 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, the Senate is empowered to embark on this legislative process, which is aimed at setting the stage for the eventual removal of the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioners.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is one of the offices mentioned in subsection (2) of the aforementioned provision of the Constitution.
Accordingly, said Akpabio, “it is apt for the Senate to invoke and activate the provision of Section 157 (1) of the Constitution to remove the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioners in line with the resolve of the 10th Senate to uphold the rule of law and sustain the ideals of morality and the tenets of corporate governance in Nigeria.
The Senate then invoke and activate the constitutional provision supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate to be acted upon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the official removal of the three Resident Electoral Commissioners.
