You can’t punish voters for INEC’s errors, Falana slams judges over Kano tribunal verdict

You can’t punish voters for INEC’s errors, Falana slams judges over Kano tribunal verdict

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, faulted the verdict by the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal nullifying the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf.

Speaking on Channels TV Sunrise programme on Friday, Mr Falana said omitting 165,000 votes on the basis of not being stamped was improper.

According to him, the judges shouldn’t have punished the voters for errors committed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

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Mr Falana said: “You cannot punish voters for the errors of INEC. That was what recently happened in Kano, where 165,000 votes were said to have not been marked by INEC officials.

“We are asking our judges to embrace justice, substantial justice, in a way that you cannot punish voters for the errors of INEC.

“You cannot challenge the validity of the ballot papers.

“So, I think these are the areas where our judges will have to go back to the drawing table,” Mr Falana stressed.

You can’t punish voters for INEC’s errors, Falana slams judges over Kano tribunal verdict