INEC rejects judge’s claim on inconclusive polls – TheNigerialawyer

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
rejected the claim of Kumai Akaas, a supreme court judge, that it
is using inconclusive elections to do its bidding.

Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner and chairman,
information and voter education committee, said Akaas’ comment did
not reflect the judgement of the apex court.

Speaking during the ruling on the Osun governorship election, on
Friday, Akaas said declaring the Osun governorship poll
inconclusive showed that “INEC had something up its sleeves.”

He was one of the two judges who dissented with the ruling in
favour of Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun. Five others endorsed
the ruling.

“For INEC to pronounce the election election inconclusive shows
that it had something up its sleeves and it was able to achieve
that through the rerun,” the judge had said. “INEC uses
inconclusive elections to do what it wants to do.”

But when contacted for comments, Okoye said the supreme court
had ruled on the matter and that “puts an end” to it.

“Obviously, the majority did not agree with him! The decision of
the Supreme Court is as contained in the leading judgement,
assented to by five justices of the court,” he told TheCable via a
text message.

“We can’t comment on a minority opinion. The law has taken its
course. This puts an end to the matter.”

Joseph Afuwape, the returning officer for the governorship poll,
had declared it inconclusive, stating that the margin between the
two leading candidates was not significant enough to declare a
winner.

The supreme court was, however, silent on whether INEC has the
power to declare an election inconclusive — one of the arguments
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was leading before the
rerun, had put forward.

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