In yet another chapter of Nigeria’s ever-dramatic political saga, the Senate has voted to remove three electoral commissioners accused of election meddling and good old-fashioned bribery. The star of this scandal? Nura Ali, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Sokoto, who allegedly pocketed a cool $150,000 to help some politicians “adjust” the 2023 election results.
Ali, alongside his equally embattled colleagues Hudu Yunusa-Ari (Adamawa) and Ike Uzochukwu (Abia), was suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last year over allegations of gross misconduct. Turns out, playing fast and loose with election results doesn’t go unnoticed forever.
President Bola Tinubu, ever eager to keep his house in order, formally requested the Senate’s approval to boot them out of office permanently. And the Senate, not one to pass up a chance for political theatrics, did just that—voting overwhelmingly in favor of their removal.
The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, wasted no time presenting damning security reports detailing how Ali gleefully accepted the bribe and “compromised” the electoral process. According to Bamidele, Ali even confessed to the crime—perhaps forgetting that the first rule of bribery is: deny everything.
Minority Leader Abba Moro (Benue South) seconded the motion, arguing that the removals would serve as a wake-up call to other officials who might be tempted by the allure of under-the-table payments. “If we’re serious about fighting corruption, these suspensions must come with consequences,” he declared.
With the Senate’s stamp of approval, the ball is now in President Tinubu’s court. The expectation? He’ll sign off on their final dismissal and likely hand them over to law enforcement for further “chats” about their activities.
Meanwhile, Yunusa-Ari, who made headlines in 2023 for prematurely declaring an election winner in Adamawa State while votes were still being counted, is already facing trial for his political over-eagerness. The courts recently rejected his attempt to wriggle out of the case—so it’s not looking great for him either.
This article was updated 6 hours ago
