Why Appeal Court Removed NNPP's Abba Yusuf And Declared APC's Gawuna Winner of Kano Governorship Election

The Court of Appeal on Friday declared the All Progressive Congress candidate, Nasiru Gawuna winner of the Kano governorship election.

The court removed NNPP's Abba Yusuf on the ground that he was not a registered member of the party as at the time he contested to be governor of Kano state.

The court also ruled that he was not properly sponsored by the party.

The Appeal Court upheld the verdict of the tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay which sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023.

The lower court had declared 165,663 votes of Yusuf, who contested under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), invalid on the grounds that they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939 while those of Nasir Ganuwa, his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, remained at 890,705.

INEC had announced Yusuf winner of the March 18, 2023 election, after he garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast.

But the APC approached the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice.

A three-man panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay had sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939 while Ganuwa’s 890,705 votes remained.

Yusuf had immediately rejected the tribunal verdict, which he described as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice”, and headed to the appeal court.