Wakili Kabiru-Muhammad, the Nasarawa West senatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to the election tribunal over the omission of his party’s logo.
Speaking to journalists immediately after filing his petition on Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Lafia, Kabiru-Muhammad insisted that the logo of the NNPP was not clearly captured on the ballot papers by INEC.
NAN reports that INEC and the winner of the election, Ahmed Aliyu-Wadada of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, are the first and second defendants in the case, respectively.
Kabiru-Muhammad alleged that the act of omission by INEC didn’t comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the 1999 Constitution.
He, however, called on the tribunal to nullify the election.
Kabiru-Muhammad said he approached the tribunal to seek redress because there were a lot of abnormalities during the election.
The petitioner advised his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding and await the outcome of the judgment of the tribunal.
Recall that Aliyu-Wadada of SDP scored 96,488 votes as against the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Shehu Tukur, who polled 47,717 votes.
‘Electoral Corruption’: INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu Threatens To Sue PDP For Defamation
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has threatened to sue the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for libel over their recent call for his resignation.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Onyekanmi, made the statement on Friday, March 10, 2023, on behalf of Professor Yakubu, who has come under intense scrutiny since the conclusion of the recent presidential and national assembly elections.
In response to the PDP’s call for his resignation, Professor Yakubu has maintained that the allegations against him are baseless and unfounded. He has also called on the PDP to present the evidence they claim to have in a court of law rather than subjecting the process to a media trial.
Mr. Onyekanmi, in a statement released on Friday, March 10, 2023, stated that the PDP failed to provide any convincing evidence to back up their claims that Professor Yakubu violated the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, and engaged in criminal manipulation and alteration of election results.
He further stated that the commission does not rig elections and that the BVAS system has ensured the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only properly registered voters are allowed to vote on election day.
Mr. Onyekanmi also warned the PDP to desist from making libelous allegations against the INEC Chairman, as such actions are actionable in a court of law.
It is noteworthy that the PDP has rejected the outcome of the presidential election and has vowed to challenge it in court. Professor Yakubu has been at the center of controversy since the elections, with various political parties and stakeholders expressing divergent opinions about his conduct and the credibility of the electoral process.
As the dust settles on the recently concluded elections, it remains to be seen what actions the PDP will take in response to Professor Yakubu’s threat of legal action.
