According to the Northern Emancipation Network (NEN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been affirmed in its ability to conduct credible elections by the Supreme Court’s validation of all 15 governorship election challenges.
The group stated in a statement signed by its chairman Suleiman Abbah that now that all the challenges have been settled in INEC’s favor, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, the INEC chairman, deserves to be honored both domestically and globally.
The Supreme Court upheld INEC’s accurate declaration of the governorship results for the states of Nasarawa, Kaduna, Gombe, Kebbi, Ogun, and Delta.
The highest court had previously ruled in favor of INEC’s declaration in the governorship petitions from the Plateau, Lagos, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Zamfara, Ebonyi, and Kano.
“There are a total of 15 decided electoral appeals. No governor has yet to be removed from office in any of the instances that have been determined.
“The Nigerian people overwhelmingly prevailed in the 2023 elections. For the first time, a single candidate and party received the majority of the votes in the north, which when joined with votes from other regions of the country, guaranteed Tinubu’s victory overall.Not only was popular will victorious in the North, but there were also valiant attempts to undermine it that were met with jubilation.
“They weren’t only thrilled that Professor Yakubu Mahmood, a resident of the north, had guided INEC in holding legitimate elections. They expressed more than just relief that the contentious elections did not spark a national conflagration.
They discussed the potential that we may look forward to a time when Boko Haram would not exist; that our children would receive a top-notch education, develop employable skills, and find employment; and that corruption would be stopped, contained, and eradicated.
“Our celebration was aimed at putting an end to bad governance, leaders who shied away from danger, and leaders who only cared about the people as constituents,” the group stated.