The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vehemently denied allegations that it withdrew from the appeal process regarding the ongoing Kano governorship election petition case.
Sam Olumekun, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the committee on Information and Voter Education, made this clear in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
This clarification comes in the wake of a letter purportedly written by the legal officer of INEC’s Kano State office, suggesting that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano governorship election petition case.
However, Olumekun stressed that the letter was not authorized and has since been withdrawn, with the responsible officer reprimanded.
“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reports based on a letter written by the Legal Officer of our Kano State office indicating that the Commission had withdrawn from the appeal process in the ongoing Kano Governorship election petition case,“ the statement reads.
“We wish to state categorically that the letter was not authorized. It has since been withdrawn and the officer reprimanded.
“The public is therefore advised to discountenance the insinuation that the Commission has withdrawn from the case or even worse abandoned the appeal.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 extant policy of the Commission. The policy has not changed.”
