A Chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for maintaining its electoral position at the Supreme Court in the appeal filed by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, against the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
The party in a statement made available to Sunday Telegraph in Ibadan noted that INEC defended its conduct of the Kano State governorship election, saying the disputed 165,616 ballot papers were indeed authentic and originated from it and not elsewhere.
On the issue of membership of Yusuf in the NNPP, the Commission, according to the release, further said that membership of any person was an internal affair of political parties and could not be determined by the court.
Speaking on behalf of the NNPP, Ajadi who was the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State during the last governorship election, said what INEC stated at the Supreme Court has affirmed the victory of Abba Yusuf as the duly elected governor of Kano State.
He said INEC through this action has acted as an unbiased umpire, saying the future of elections in the country is secured if INEC can maintain its truth position in the face of intimidation and harassment, like it did at the Supreme Court.
“I really want to commend INEC for standing with the truth. With this position, I am convinced that the Professor Mahmood Yakubu – led INEC is really independent and I commend its forthrightness.
“INEC has backed our position that the NNPP won the elections including the governorship election in Kano fairly. We are the leading party in Kano and this has shown in the number of the State Assembly members and the National Assembly members we have in the state. INEC deserves commendation from all well- meaning Nigerians concerning the way it has come out openly to defend the truth”, Ajadi said.
