THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today disputed reports that it had withdrawn from or abandoned the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal appeal process.
On September 20, the court dismissed Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate in the March 18 election, declaring Nasiru Gawuna, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, the winner.
But Yusuf pledged to appeal the decision, which he called a “misapplication of the law.”
However, in a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC emphasized its position in response to a letter from its state legal officer that it termed as “unauthorized.”
Which according to the commission, the correspondence has since been retracted, and the officer has been disciplined.
“We wish to state categorically that where litigants join INEC in a case, the Commission is under obligation to respond accordingly,” it said.
“We have therefore instructed our lawyers to proceed in line with extant policy of the Commission. The policy has not changed.”
