Controversy Surrounds INEC’s Alleged Withdrawal and Reversal in Kano Election Tribunal Appeal
Over the weekend, a wave of controversy unfolded regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its purported withdrawal from appealing the judgment of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal at the Court of Appeal.
The drama began when Suleiman Alkali, the Head of the Commission’s Legal Department in Kano, sent a letter dated October 6, 2023, to the Secretary of the Kano Governorship Tribunal. In the letter, INEC notified the tribunal of its intention to withdraw from the appeal. Subsequently, the letter and its initial stance were withdrawn.
A copy of the letter circulated widely, and it read, “I have been instructed by the Commission Headquarters that INEC, as an impartial body, has no reason to appeal any judgment. Consequently, the National Commission in charge of Legal Services and the National Commissioner in charge of Kano Zone directed that the appeal be withdrawn, and all processes for all appeals should be forwarded to the Kano Office.”
However, after some time, the same Head of the Legal Department informed the press that he had retracted the initial letter sent to the tribunal.
Alkali explained the reason behind issuing the first letter and its subsequent withdrawal, stating that the tribunal had requested the letter. He added, “The letter was mischievously requested by the Tribunal Secretary, and I wrote to them for a specific purpose. They deliberately escalated it. The letter has been withdrawn and no longer has legal validity.”
Meanwhile, Sam Olumekun, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Committee on Information and Voter Education, stated that the commission’s legal officer, who purportedly withdrew from the case, had been reprimanded.
