The Independent National Electoral Commission national headquarters has disowned a letter attributed to its Kano state office, signifying the Commission’s stand not to participate in the appeal against the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgement sacking Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
In a letter dated October 6, 2023, signed by the Head of the Legal Department, INEC Kano, Suleiman Alkali, the commission withdrew its appeal, claiming that it has no reason to appeal any judgment.
The letter, addressed to the secretary of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, read: “I have been instructed by the Commission headquarters that INEC, as an umpire, has no reason to appeal any judgement.
Consequently, the National Commission in charge of Legal Services and the National Commissioner in charge of the Kano Zone directed that the appeal be withdrawn and all processes for all appeals should be forwarded to the Kano Office.”
Checks revealed that the Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, had filed a 42-ground notice of appeal on Friday to regain his mandate at the Court of Appeal.
The Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had last month sacked Governor Yusuf and declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election. It also asked INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Governor Yusuf.
The Commission headquarters, in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, urged the public to disregard the letter written by the Head of its Legal Department in Kano.
The statement reads in part: “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reports based on a letter written by the Legal Officer of our Kano State office indicating that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano Governorship election petition case.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 It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.
The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the Commission has withdrawn from the case or, even worse, abandoned the appeal.
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 the existing policy of the Commission. The policy has not changed.”
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