Suspended INEC REC Hudu Ari Seeks Indefinite Adjournment of Court Case

The suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, has asked the Adamawa State High Court to adjourn indefinitely the case brought against him by the electoral body.

Ari’s counsel, M. Tijanni, made the request on Thursday, asking the court to stay proceedings in the substantive case while awaiting the ruling on an application he filed before the Court of Appeal in Yola, Adamawa State. The application, dated January 21, 2025, seeks to delay the case until the appellate court issues its decision.

In response, Chief L. D. Nzadon, the counsel for the State, strongly opposed the application. Nzadon argued that the request was an affront to the rule of law and the administration of criminal justice. He pointed out that under criminal justice law, no such applications should be entertained, urging the court to dismiss Ari’s request.

After hearing both sides, Justice Benjamin Manji Lawan, who is presiding over the case, adjourned the matter to January 30, 2025, for a ruling.

Ari, who served as INEC REC in Adamawa State during the 2023 general election, came under scrutiny for declaring a winner in the State’s governorship election before the process had concluded. His actions sparked a significant uproar in the state and beyond. Following this, Ari was suspended by the Federal Government under then-President Muhammadu Buhari and is now facing legal action for electoral offenses.