The Senate on Wednesday granted approval for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to terminate the appointments of the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for Sokoto, Abia, and Adamawa States.
The RECs affected by the decision are Dr. Nura Ali (Sokoto), Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa), and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia). The Senate’s approval followed a motion moved by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele during plenary.
In his letter, which was read out by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu had sought the Senate’s approval for the termination of the RECs’ appointments, which had been under suspension since 2023.
Bamidele in his lead debate said: “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 Resident Electoral Commissioner); Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner) and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner), respectively;
“Also aware that the aforementioned Resident Commissioners were earlier suspended in 2023, bordering on 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 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;
“Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari was suspended by former President Muhammad 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. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu was suspended for undermining election processes by mishandling of logistics and abandonment 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 Resident Electoral.
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“Also aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission is one of the offices mentioned in Subsection (2) of the aforementioned provision of the Constitution.
“Accordingly, 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,
“Accordingly resolves to: Invoke and activate the constitutional provision as enshrined in section 157 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, by forwarding an address, supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate to be acted upon by Mr. President for the official removal of Dr. Nura Ali (Sokoto State Resident Electoral Commissioner); Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner); Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner), respectively.”
During plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, and the Senate approved the request to terminate the appointments of the three RECs.
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