The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday, reserved judgment in the appeal by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, challenging his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
It would be recalled that the Kano State election petition tribunal had on September 20 nullified Yusuf’s election by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid, saying the ballot papers were neither signed nor stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Consequently, it declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, winner of the governorship election.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Yusuf appealed against the tribunal verdict and urged the court to set aside the judgment.
The Informant247 had earlier reported that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has fixed Monday, November 6 to hear in the appeal of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) against Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
It would be recalled that the governor had filed an appeal to challenge the nullification of his election by the Kano Election Petition Tribunal.
On September 20, the Informant247 reports that Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay-led three-man panel sacked Yusuf as Kano state governor by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid because “they were not signed or stamped by INEC”.
Yusuf had described the tribunal’s verdict as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice”.
Parties in the suit include Governor Yusuf and his party, NNPP as well as the opposition APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC had declared Yusuf winner of the March 18, 2023 election after he secured 1,019,602 votes against Gawuna who secured 890,705 votes.
However, after the tribunal deducted the 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s tally and his votes were reduced to 853,939, 30,000 votes less than the 890,705 votes polled by Gawuna.
Consequently, the court declared the APC candidate winner of the governorship election and ordered the INEC to withdraw Yusuf’s certificate.