Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, has called for the sanction of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.
Recall that, Yunusa-Ari, had on Sunday, declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa, Aisha Dalhiru Ahmed (aka. Binani), as the winner, even though the collation of results was still ongoing.
Following the development, INEC, in a statement on Sunday, discontinued the collation of results and nullified the declaration made by the Adamawa REC.
Subsequently, the electoral body on Tuesday, continued the collation of election results and eventually announced the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and incumbent Governor of the state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, as the winner.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, demanded that Yunusa-Ari, who is a lawyer, should be sanctioned by the disciplinary committee of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The senior lawyer stated that the law recommended strict sanctions for any form of electoral conspiracy, malfeasance, and financial inducement
Falana also commended INEC for taking swift action to ensure that proper response was implemented, adding that “except actions are taken holistically, impunity and aberrations would be repeatedly committed”.
He said, “The Nigerian Bar Association has to come in, the NBA has to write a petition, to the legal practitioner disciplinary committee for immediate sanction to serve as a lesson because he has brought the legal profession into disrepute.”