Observer groups ask INEC to review Kano election, withdraw NNPP governor-elect’s certificate

A coalition of INEC-accredited observer groups has asked the INEC to review the March 18 governorship election in Kano which returned Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP as the winner.

Friday Maduka, leader of the coalition, made the call at a news conference at the NUJ Press Centre Kano on Thursday.

Mr Maduka said as an observer of the election, the coalition found the poll to have been marred by too many irregularities and violations of the Electoral Laws and INEC guidelines for the election.

He listed the electoral malpractices, including ballot box snatching, destruction of ballot papers, voter intimidation, suppression, violence, and vote buying.

“INEC should, as a matter of national urgency, review the outcome of the election, have a retraction of its position and look in the direction of conducting a supplementary election,” Mr Maduka said.

He said the supplementary poll should be held in the affected areas, which had over 270,000 cancelled votes in line with the relevant electoral laws, adding that the electoral umpire should review the exercise ”for peace and progress of the state in particular and Nigeria in general.”

According to the coalition, INEC acted against its rules by declaring Mr Yusuf the winner while the result collation was ongoing.

“Also, the margin of lead, which is about 130,000 votes, is less than the total number of cancelled votes of over 270,000. Section 65 of the Electoral Act is very clear on cases like this. Therefore, the hasty declaration of a winner in the Kano state governorship election 2023 cannot be said to be fair to all the political parties involved,” the group said.

It then condemned the post-election violence that befell the state “after the hasty declaration of a winner by INEC, under the guise of victory celebration, resulting in loss of lives and property.”

“We urge the various security agencies in the state to thoroughly investigate the incident and apprehend the perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law,” the coalition added.

(NAN)