The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has no intention to withdraw the appeal process in the ongoing Kano State governorship election case.

The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, made this known in a statement on Saturday, October 7, 2023.

Olumekun stated that INEC was under obligation to respond to the election petition judgement.

He said the reaction followed reports on a letter written by the INEC Legal Officer in Kano State indicating that the commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the Kano State governorship election petition case.

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The INEC official noted: “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 It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.

“The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.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

It would be recalled that the tribunal, on September 20, sacked Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Kano State.

The Star