In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the decision of the tribunal, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, resulting in the removal of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from office in Kano State. The tribunal’s ruling on September 20, 2023, was centered on the invalidation of 165,663 votes cast for Yusuf, who contested under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), citing the absence of signatures or stamps from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As a consequence of this decision, Governor Yusuf’s vote count was reduced to 853,939, while his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Nasir Ganuwa, maintained a total of 890,705 votes.
Governor Yusuf, expressing dissatisfaction with the tribunal’s verdict, deemed it “unfair” and a “miscarriage of justice.” Subsequently, he appealed the decision, leading to a legal battle at the Court of Appeal. Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who represented Yusuf, argued for the dismissal of the tribunal’s judgment. Olanipekun contended that the annulment of an election due to the non-signing of the back of ballot papers was unprecedented in the history of tribunals. He also raised concerns about a political party filing a case without including its candidate as a party in the petition, yet the candidate was declared the winner.
However, Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel for the APC, countered Olanipekun’s arguments. Olujimi cited the Appeal Court’s assertion that the failure to sign ballots constituted electoral malpractice, emphasizing the significance of upholding the integrity of the electoral process.
With this latest development, Kano State finds itself at a critical juncture, awaiting the potential implications on its political landscape.
as upheld the decision of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, confirming the removal of Abba Yusuf, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), as the governor of the state.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court ruled that the NNPP had violated the constitution by fielding Yusuf, who was not a member of the party, as its candidate in the gubernatorial election.
The affirmation of the tribunal’s decision marks a significant development in the legal battle over the Kano governorship election.
