The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has scheduled the hearing of an appeal filed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for Monday, November 6, 2023. The appeal is in response to the nullification of his election by the Kano State Election Petition Tribunal.
The lawsuit, with case number CA/KN/EP/GOV/KAN/34/2023, is set for a hearing as counsels for both parties prepare for the legal battle. Those involved in the suit are Governor Yusuf and his party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), as well as the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
On September 20, 2023, the tribunal nullified Governor Yusuf’s election by ruling that 165,663 votes were invalid. These votes were found to be lacking the necessary signatures or stamps from INEC. Initially, INEC had declared Governor Yusuf the winner of the March 18 election with 1,019,602 votes, defeating his opponent, Nasiru Gawuna, who secured 890,705 votes.
However, with the deduction of the 165,663 votes, Governor Yusuf’s final tally was reduced to 853,939 votes, which was over 30,000 votes less than Gawuna’s figure. As a result, the court declared Gawuna, the APC candidate, as the winner of the governorship election. The court further ordered INEC to withdraw Governor Yusuf’s certificate of return and issue a new one to Gawuna.
Governor Yusuf and the NNPP have since appealed the tribunal’s decision, urging the court to overturn the judgment in their favor.
The hearing of this appeal will provide a crucial opportunity for both parties to present their arguments and seek justice in the matter. Nigerian citizens keenly await the outcome of the proceedings as it will have a significant impact on the governance of Kano State.
