The Senate has yesterday granted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to terminate the appointments of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in charge of Abia, Adamawa and Sokoto, states. The affected RECs include; Dr. Nura Ali (Sokoto), Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa State), and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia).
The resolution of the lawmakers followed its deliberation and approval of a motion moved by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during plenary.
President Tinubu, in a letter sent to senate which was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu urged the lawmakers to approve the termination of the appointments of the RECs who had been on suspension since 2023.
While moving the motion, Bamidele said: “The Senate, aware of an Executive Communication from Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, 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), Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa State REC) and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia State REC), respectively.
“Also aware that the aforementioned RECs were earlier suspended in 2023, bordering on allegations of infractions of Electoral Act, compromise of elections and abandonment of duty without cogent reasons.
The report added “Notes from security reports from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) that Dr. Nura Ali was indicted for compromising the 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.
“Ari was suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari, after a prima facie case was instituted against him for usurping the power of the Returning Officer to declare the governorship election result; and Prof. 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 rescheduled supplementary elections.
“Aware that by virtue of the provisions of section 157 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, which stipulates that: ‘…a person holding any of the offices to which this section applies may only be removed from that office by the President acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct,’ the Senate is empowered to embark on this legislative process, which is aimed at setting the stage for the eventual removal of the suspended RECs.