The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to dismiss three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from Adamawa, Sokoto, and Abia states over allegations of partisanship in the last general elections.
In a statement on Friday, PAACA commended both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and President Tinubu for taking decisive action to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process. The organization’s Executive Director, Ezenwa Nwagwu, described the move as a crucial step toward accountability and restoring public confidence in election management.
Nwagwu emphasized that Tinubu’s formal request to the Senate for the removal of Hudu Yunusa-Ari (Adamawa REC), Dr. Nura Ali (Sokoto REC), and Mr. Ike Uzochukwu (Abia REC) aligns with constitutional provisions for oversight and reinforces the need for ethical conduct among election officials. He stressed the importance of appointing neutral and competent replacements to ensure the credibility of future elections.
He urged the Senate to conduct a thorough confirmation process, ensuring that only individuals with unquestionable integrity are appointed to key positions in INEC.
Nwagwu recalled that INEC had initially suspended the three RECs in March 2023 over allegations of misconduct. Yunusa-Ari was accused of unlawfully assuming the Returning Officer’s role in the Adamawa governorship election and making an unauthorized declaration of results. Ali and Uzochukwu faced suspension for dereliction of duty, with Ali also under prosecution for alleged bribery.
He further noted the complexities involved in disciplining electoral commission officials, pointing out that it took over a year from their suspension to their eventual dismissal.
