APC loses Kano, as Supreme Court reverses sack of Gov, Yusuf

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Kanu Governor, Abba Yusuf, reversing the decision of the Appral court which had sacked him.

Ripples Nigeria reports that the Supreme Court had last December reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Governor Yusuf challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal and the state Election Petitions Tribunal, which removed him from office.

The five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro reserved judgment after the parties adopted their brief of arguments canvassed for and against the appeal.

It will also be recalled that in September, the Kano Governorship Election Tribunal nullified the victory of Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria’s Peoples Party (NNPP) and affirmed Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor.

The Appeal Court, on November 13, upheld the verdict of the tribunal, as it agreed with the judgment of the tribunal, ruling that the fielding of Yusuf was in breach of the Electoral Law as he was not qualified to contest the election. But the governor proceeded to the Supreme Court to seek redress.

In its ruling, the panel of judges of the Supreme Court led by Justice Inyang Okoro held that Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), was the valid winner of the governorship election that held in Kano State on March 18.

READ ALSO:KANO: Abba Yusuf of PDP gets Appeal Court clearance to run for gov

The apex court which arrived at its decision by a unanimous decision of the five-member panel of justices, vacated the concurrent judgements of the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sacked governor Yusuf and declared that Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressive Congress (APC), was winner of the gubernatorial poll.

In the lead judgement read by Justice Inyang Okoro, the Court held that the two lower courts had wrongly deducted valid votes that were credited to Yusuf by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The apex court further held that the 165,663 votes that were deducted from Yusuf and the NNPP on the premise the ballot papers were not signed, stamped or dated, stands valid.

The court also noted that contrary to the position of the lower courts, a total of 146,292 of the ballot papers were confirmed to have been signed and stamped, only that they did not contain any date and that there was no evidence that governor Yusuf influenced the non signing of the ballot papers.

On the APC argument that Yusuf was not a member of the NNPP at the time of his nomination, the Supreme Court faulted the lower courts for nullifying Yusuf’s election on that premise.

It held that the issue of sponsorship of a candidate in an election was within the domestic affairs of a political party.

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