By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yusuf Ali, has written to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague urging it to disregard a petition reportedly submitted by Senator Lawal Adamu Usman against the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani.

In a letter dated August 30, 2025, and addressed to the ICC Prosecutor, Ali said the petition alleges that Governor Sani abused state power during recent bye-elections. Ali argued that those allegations, as described in the petition, do not fall within the ICC’s jurisdiction under the Rome Statute, which covers genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

Ali also wrote that, in his view, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and local and international observers described the bye-elections as peaceful and credible. He urged the ICC to dismiss the petition on jurisdictional grounds.

The statements in this report are based on Ali’s letter and the petition he referenced. The allegations in the petition and the claims in Ali’s letter have not been independently verified.