By Aliyu Dangida
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano has rejected the announcement of Abba Kabir Yusif of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as winner of the just concluded governorship election in K ano calling for immediate review of the election result by the electoral umpire within seven days.
The Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Abbas announced this to newsmen at an emergency press conference at the APC gubernatorial campaign office in Kano, Tuesday afternoon.
The APC chairman, who was represented by the party’s legal adviser, Abdul Adamu Fagge insists that the election should be declared inconclusive because the cancelled votes were greater than the margin between the first and the second parties of NNPP and APC respectively as provided by the Electoral Act.
The party also drew attention to the cancellation of sixteen House of Assembly elections in the state, sighting violence as the reason, while the same votes were considered in collating the governorship election.
It expressed dismay saying the two elections took place same day, same time, same places and under the same circumstances.
“The declaration made by Returning Officer is contrary to the combined provisions of Section 24, 51 of the Electoral Act, 2022, Article 62 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Election, 2022, and items 4.2.16, Note 32 at page 84 and item 6 of the Table at page 93 of the Manual for Election Officials, 2023 which made it mandatory that whenever the disenfranchised voters who have collected their permanent voters card (PVC) outweighs the margin of lead between the candidates with the highest number of valid votes cast and his runner up, the commission will declare the said election as inconclusive and order for a rerun election at a further date.
“This is best electoral practice already established and followed by the Commission in several states both at the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on 25th February, 2023 as well as the just concluded Governorship and State House of Assembly elections held on 18th March, 2023, in line with the dictate of the law, impartiality and respect for due process and the rule of law.
