Kano Governorship Election: INEC Says No Intention To Withdraw Appeal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has no intention of withdrawing the appeal process in the ongoing Kano State governorship election case.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Sam Olumekun, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday said the commission was under obligation to respond to the election petition judgment.

Olumekun said that INEC attention has been drawn to media reports based on a letter written by its Legal Officer in Kano State office indicating that INEC had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano governorship election petition case.

“We wish to state categorically that the letter was not authorised. It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.

“The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.

“We wish to state categorically that where litigants join INEC in a case, the commission is under obligation to respond accordingly.

“We have therefore instructed our lawyers to proceed in line with extant policy of the commission. The policy has not changed,“ Olumekun stated.

The tribunal on Sept. 20 sacked Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the state governorship election.

NAN/ Lateefah Ibrahim