Suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari has said he does not regret declaring candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru, as the winner of the gubernatorial election in the state.
He said this in an interview with BBC Hausa aired on Tuesday.
The Herald earlier reported Yunusa Ari was invited by the investigative panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to probe his controversial declaration.
The Adamawa REC had declared Binani the winner of the poll while the collation exercise was ongoing.
In a reaction shortly after, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters berated the REC for usurping the Returning Officer’s role and voided the declaration.
The electoral umpire equally suspended collation of results and summoned Yunusa-Ari to its headquarters in Abuja.
The commission subsequently suspended Yunusa-Ari and wrote the IGP to demand his investigation and possible prosecution.
INEC also said it was unaware of the suspended REC’s whereabouts.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently endorsed the suspension and charged the police to investigate and possibly prosecute Yunusa-Ari.
The IGP set up an investigative committee to collaborate with INEC to get to the root of the matter.
Speaking on Tuesday, Yunusa-Ari said he did not collect money from anyone to make the declaration.
He also denied going into hiding, noting that he would appear before the police probe panel.
“I didn’t ask Binani and Fintiri for a single penny. It is against my religion to collect money from someone to help him do anything and I swear to God, claims that I was offered N2 billion are just baseless allegations and rumours,” Yunusa-Ari said.
“Where will I take N2 billion to? I saw it on social media that I was offered N2 billion.
“I don’t regret announcing Binani winner of the election. Anything you do according to the law, you won’t regret it.
“I wrote a letter to INEC which they said they won’t accept — but I’m sure they’ve accepted and the invitation sent by the police is mandatory for me to honour it.
“I never went into hiding. I will honour the invitation of the police,” Yunusa-Ari said.