By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has eventually laid to rest the 10-month battle waged against the candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, by the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Kano State.
It ruled that Yusuf was duly elected as Governor in the keenly contested election, thus confirming the final fall of the mighty and incumbent APC in the election.
A five-member panel of the highest court held that the tribunal and the court of appeal erred by sacking Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), as governor of the state.
The supreme court had reserved judgment after hearing the appeals on December 21, 2023.
In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yusuf as the winner of the Kano governorship election.
The Kano governor scored 1,019,602 votes to defeat Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 890,705 votes.
In September, the Kano governorship election petition tribunal sacked Yusuf as governor of the state.
The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from the 1,019,602 recorded for Yusuf because the ballot papers were not stamped, signed and dated as required by law.
The tribunal then declared Gawuna as the winner of the election.
Displeased with the verdict, the NNPP and its candidate challenged the judgment at the appellate court.
On November 17, 2023, the court of appeal upheld the tribunal’s verdict and added that Yusuf was not a member of the NNPP when he contested the election.
However, controversy trailed the verdict days later when a certified true copy (CTC) of the appeal court judgment surfaced, contradicting the November 17 ruling.
The copy of the judgment ruled against and in favour of the NNPP candidate simultaneously, eliciting outrage on social media platforms and the streets.
The appeal court issued a statement blaming “clerical error” for the contradictions or discrepancies.
In the meantime, friends of Kano State, while congratulating Governor Abba Yusuf, his team and Kano people, said it was a well fought battle from which they eventually emerg3d victorious and laughed last.
