The Court of Appeal in Abuja is poised to make a crucial decision on the Kano State governorship election, with the judgement date set for Friday, November 17. At the heart of the matter is the appeal filed by Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano State and candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Bashir Tudunwuzirchi, one of the lawyers representing the appellants, confirmed the scheduled judgement date, highlighting that the official communication had been received by their legal team.
The backdrop to this case stems from the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal’s ruling on September 20, which led to the ousting of the governor and the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 governorship poll.
In response to the tribunal’s decision, the governor, through his counsel Wole Olanipekun, sought the intervention of the appellate court to set aside the tribunal’s judgement.
Olanipekun contested the tribunal’s decision, particularly in regard to the deduction of over 165,000 votes of the governor. He emphasized the unprecedented nature of the tribunal annulling an election due to the non-signing of the back of ballot papers. Additionally, he raised concerns about the political party filing a matter without the involvement of its candidate in the petition, only for the candidate to be declared the victor of the polls.
In response, counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akin Olujimi, countered Olanipekun’s arguments by highlighting the appellate court’s stance that the non-signing of ballots constituted electoral malpractice.
The impending judgement by the Court of Appeal has significant implications for the political landscape in Kano State, and its outcome is eagerly awaited by various stakeholders and political observers across the country.
