By Danlami Nmodu
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has denied reports that it has withdrawn from the appeal process in the aftermath of recent Kano State petition tribunal ruling.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Sam Olumekun mni, issued the rebuttal in a statement Saturday.
The development came in reaction to reports that the Commission has withdrawn from the appeal process of Kano State Gubernatorial election.
Newsdiaryonline reports that the election tribunal recently sacked New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP Governor Abba K.Yusuf of Kano State, declaring the All Progressives Congress APC candidate, Nasir Y. Gawuna as winner of the 2023 Gubernatorial election.NNPP’s governor Yusuf has filed an appeal.
INEC actually admitted that media reports of its alleged withdrawal from the appeal process were “based on a letter written by the Legal Officer of our Kano State office indicating that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano Governorship election petition case”.
The INEC headquarters has however not only disowned the officer’s move, it said the legal officer in question has also been reprimanded.
“We wish to state categorically that the letter was not authorised. It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded,” INEC spokesman said.
The commission’s statement on the new twist in the Kano 2023 gubernatorial election story reads thus: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to media reports based on a letter written by the Legal Officer of our Kano State office indicating that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano Governorship election petition case.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 It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.
“The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the Commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.”
INEC further said, “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.”
