The Kano State governorship election case has taken a perplexing turn as the Court of Appeal reportedly reached out to lawyers involved, urging them to return the Certified True Copy (CTC) of its judgment. The confusion arose after the court seemingly contradicted itself in the judgment concerning Governor Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP).
According to SaharaReporters, the appeal court initially resolved all issues in favor of Governor Yusuf, setting aside the ruling of the Kano Governorship Election Tribunal that had sacked him. However, the court also dismissed the appeal, stating it lacked merit. This apparent contradiction has raised concerns about the integrity of the judgment.
Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a law professor and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, expressed dismay at the situation, describing it as a reflection of the high level of decay in the Nigerian judicial system. Odinkalu suggested that the only way to understand the contradiction might be that the court changed the judgment after judges had concluded deliberations.
He remarked on the irregularity, saying, “I am hearing this evening that the court has been asking the lawyers to return the judgment for ‘correction.’ But this does not fall within the ambit of the Slip Rule. This is Judicial Corruption on the face of the record.”
The Court of Appeal’s handling of the Kano governorship case has sparked significant controversy, and the reported request for the return of judgment copies adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
