INEC denies withdrawing from Kano governorship appeal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that it has withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano governorship election petition case.

The commission issued a press release on Saturday, October 7, 2023, to clarify its position after a letter by its legal officer in Kano state indicated that the commission had withdrawn from the case.

The press release, signed by Sam Olumekun, the national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education committee, stated that “the letter was not authorised. It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.”

The commission advised the public to “discountenance the insinuation that the Commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.”

The commission also stated that “where litigants join INEC in a case, the Commission is under obligation to respond accordingly.” It added that “we have instructed our lawyers to proceed in line with extant policy of the Commission. The policy has not changed.”

The Kano governorship election petition case is between Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yusuf was declared the winner of the March 18, 2023 election by INEC with 1,019,602 votes, while Gawuna came second with 890,705 votes.

However, Gawuna challenged the result at the tribunal, alleging irregularities and malpractices.

On September 20, 2023, the tribunal sacked Yusuf and declared Gawuna as the winner of the election. The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf as invalid, stating that they were not stamped or signed by INEC officials.

Yusuf vowed to appeal the judgment, which he described as a “misapplication of the law”. He filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on September 29, 2023.

The appeal is yet to be heard by the court.