INEC reprimands legal officer over appeal of Kano tribunal judgment

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has reprimanded its official over a letter indicating that it will not join in the appeal against the verdict of Kano governorship election petition tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf.

INEC, in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Sam Olumekun, on Saturday, said the Legal Officer in Kano who wrote letter indicating that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process was not authorized.

“We wish to state categorically that the letter was not authorised. It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded”, Olumekun said while while emphasizing that the commission was under obligation to respond to the election petition judgment.

“The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.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 extant policy of the commission. The policy has not changed,“ Olumekun stated.

The tribunal on Sept. 20 sacked Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the state governorship election
NANT