JUST IN: Senate Okays Dismissal Of 3 INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday approved the dismissal of three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who had been suspended since 2023 for violating provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Act.

The decision followed a request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging the Senate to formally terminate the appointments of the Resident Electoral Commissioners for Adamawa, Sokoto, and Abia states.

Presenting the motion, Senate Leader Michael Bamidele Opeyemi cited Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the Senate to approve such dismissals.

The affected officials include:
-Dr. Nura Ali – Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sokoto State
-Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari – Resident Electoral Commissioner, Adamawa State
-Professor Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu – Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abia State
Bamidele noted that the officials were initially suspended in 2023 over allegations of violating the Electoral Act, election malpractice, and abandoning their duties without justification.

A copy of the motion, obtained on Wednesday, revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) had indicted Dr. Nura Ali for corruption, incompetence, and allegedly accepting a $150,000 bribe from politicians.

Presiding over the plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio invoked relevant constitutional provisions, leading to the approval of the termination of the commissioners’ appointments.