The Court of Appeal has shocked many with its certified true copy (CTC) upholding the election of Governor Abba Yusuf, while also awarding a cost of N1,000,000 against the All Progressives Congress (APC). This decision contradicts its previous pronouncement which had upheld the judgment of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
On Friday, the Court of Appeal had upheld the tribunal’s judgment, declaring APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the state’s governorship election. However, the release of the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday revealed several contradictory declarations within the judgment.
The appellate court, in an unexpected turn, awarded the cost in favour of the NNPP and against the APC, despite its initial ruling. It stated, “I will conclude by stating that the live issues in this appeal are hereby resolved in favour of the 1st respondent (APC) and against the appellant (Governor Abba Yusuf),” but then contradicted itself in another sentence.
It further stated, “In the circumstances, I resolve all the issues in favour of the appellant (NNPP) and against the 1st respondent (APC).” This contradictory stance continued as the court declared, “Therefore, I find no merit in this appeal which is liable to be and is hereby dismissed.”
In a dramatic twist, the court also set aside the judgment of the tribunal which had sacked the governor, as the CTC of the judgment read, “The judgment of the tribunal In Petition No.: EPT/KN/GOV/01/2023 between: ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) v. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS. delivered on the 20th day of September, 2023 is hereby set aside.”
Earlier, the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had sacked the governor and declared the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 governorship poll. Dissatisfied by the tribunal’s decision, the governor, through his counsel Wole Olanipekun, had approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment.
In a unanimous ruling on Friday, the court of appeal stated that the governor was not a valid candidate in the March 18 gubernatorial election, further amplifying the intense legal battle surrounding the Kano governorship election.
