The Nigerian Senate has officially approved the termination of the appointments of three Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) who were suspended in 2023 due to violations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Act.
This move comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted a request to the Senate for the dismissal of the embattled commissioners. The affected individuals are Dr. Nura Ali, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto State; Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, the REC for Adamawa State; and Professor Ikemefuna Chijioke Uzochukwu, the REC for Abia State.
The motion to approve the terminations was sponsored by Senate Leader, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi, who invoked Section 157 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended. This section grants the Senate the power to approve the request for the removal of the commissioners.
In his submission, Senator Opeyemi explained that the three officials had been suspended in 2023 due to allegations of electoral malpractice and misconduct. These accusations included compromising the integrity of elections and abandoning their duties without valid reasons. The Senate leader emphasized that the suspension was a response to serious concerns regarding the commissioners’ actions, which had undermined the credibility of the electoral process.
Furthermore, a motion submitted to the Senate revealed that the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) had provided incriminating evidence against Dr. Nura Ali. The report stated that Dr. Ali had confessed to acts of corruption, incompetence, and accepting a bribe of $150,000 from politicians.
The plenary session, which was presided over by Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio, saw the approval of the termination of the appointments. This decision was made after thorough deliberation and in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
