An Adamawa State High Court was on Wednesday told that the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa-Ari had fled to Niger Republic.
The court, presided over by Justice Benjamin Lawan, was told during the resumed sitting on the case that the suspended REC had now found solace in his wife in the neighbouring country.
Counsel to the defendant, Dr. Suleiman Usman (SAN), however informed the court during the sitting that he knew the whereabouts of his client in Niger.
He said Hudu, who has two wives, is currently residing with the one in Niger, away from the other one in Hudu’s home in Bauchi, Nigeria.
The counsel pleaded that he be given Hudu’s service, but the court refused, insisting that Hudu must be served in person.
Earlier, the prosecution counsels, O. A. Atolabi and F. T. Ekyaan, said they had brought an application for the court to issue them with warrant of arrest against Hudu, as he was nowhere to be found.
Speaking on the matter however, Justice Benjamin said there was no need for a warrant of arrest since Hudu’s counsels had appeared and assured the court that they would produce him.
He adjourned the matter to December 6 for arraignment.
FLYINGEZE BLOG reports that Wednesday turned out to be the second time that Hudu would fail to turn up for arraignment in the Adamawa State High Court.
When he was first expected at the court about two weeks ago, on November 6, he had simply kept off, with the prosecution complaining that he could not be reached.
He had earlier been dragged to court by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to answer questions regarding his conduct as the Adamawa State REC during the governorship election in the state.
Illegally assuming the position of the Returning Officer, Hudu had announced a winner of the election when results had not even been fully collated.
He had wrongly declared the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani), as winner of the election, as a result of which INEC suspended him and went ahead to conclude the collation exercise before announcing the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ahmadu Fintiri, as the authentic winner.
The electoral body had gone further to sue Hudu, leading to the ongoing court process against him.
