The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it did not authorise the letter withdrawing from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano governorship election petition.
The National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, in a statement issued on Saturday, stated that the letter has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.
INEC’s Head, Legal Department in Kano State, Suleiman Alkali, had in a statement on Friday said the commission had withdrawn its appeal challenging the nullification of Abba Yusuf as governor of Kano State, and said it had no reason to appeal any judgment.
“I have been instructed by the commission headquarters that INEC as an umpire have no reason to appeal any judgement.
“Consequently, the National Commissioner in charge of Legal Services and National Commissioner in charge of Kano zone, directed that the appeal be withdrawn and all processes for all appeals should be forwarded to the Kano office,” Alkali had stated.
But Olumekun who is also Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee advised members of the public “to discountenance the insinuation that the commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.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 extant policy of the commission. The policy has not changed.”
