Human rights advocate Femi Falana, SAN, has strongly criticized the decision made by the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which nullified Governor Abba Yusuf’s victory. Falana vehemently opposed the verdict, emphasizing that penalizing voters for errors attributed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is unjust.
Expressing his dissent, Falana highlighted the improper nature of omitting 165,000 votes on the grounds of lacking proper stamping. He firmly stated, “You cannot punish voters for the errors of INEC.” The lawyer stressed the importance of upholding justice and not penalizing voters for mistakes made by electoral officials.
In response to the tribunal’s ruling, Falana urged judges to embrace substantial justice and avoid penalizing voters for INEC’s errors. He specifically addressed the challenge to the validity of the ballot papers, calling for a reevaluation of such decisions by the judiciary.
The outspoken human rights lawyer insisted that judges need to revisit such cases, advocating for a fairer approach that does not undermine the rights of voters due to administrative errors. This statement by Falana has raised significant concerns over the verdict and seeks a reconsideration of the approach taken by election tribunals in such matters. — in Abuja.
