The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday approved the removal of three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from Abia, Adamawa, and Sokoto states.
The decision followed a request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the Senate to invoke Section 157(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to formally terminate the appointments of Dr. Nura Ali (Sokoto REC), Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari (Adamawa REC), and Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu (Abia REC).
The three officials had been suspended in 2023 over allegations of electoral malpractice, compromising elections, and abandoning their duties without justifiable reasons.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while reading the president’s communication, cited security reports from the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services (DSS), which indicted Dr. Nura Ali for compromising the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He was alleged to have confessed to receiving $150,000 from politicians during a DSS investigation.
Similarly, Barrister Hudu Yunusa Ari was suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari after he controversially announced the Adamawa governorship election results, usurping the role of the Returning Officer.
Prof. Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu, on the other hand, was suspended for mishandling election logistics, abandoning the Governorship and State Assembly elections, and failing to reschedule supplementary polls.
Akpabio emphasized that the Senate, in line with its constitutional mandate, had acted to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability within the electoral system. He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) falls under the purview of Section 157(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the Senate to take such actions.
Following a two-thirds majority vote, the Senate formally approved the removal of the three RECs, paving the way for President Tinubu to act on their official dismissal.
 from Abia, Adamawa, and Sokoto states.){kind=link}