By Becky Usman

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has invalidated the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State. In a recall of events, a three-man panel of judges, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, had earlier on September 20, 2023, nullified Yusuf’s victory by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid. The court deemed these votes invalid due to the absence of signatures or stamps from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Consequently, the governor’s vote tally, secured under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was reduced to 853,939, while the votes of Nasir Ganuwa from the All Progressives Congress (APC) remained at 890,705. The Kano State Governorship Election Petition Court then annulled Yusuf’s victory, declaring the APC candidate the rightful winner of the March 18 poll.

Governor Yusuf, dissatisfied with the ruling, lodged an appeal at the higher court seeking to overturn the lower court’s decision. The Appeal Court, in its recent judgment, affirmed the tribunal’s ruling, stating that the governor was ineligible to contest the election. According to the court, Governor Yusuf was not a member of NNPP at the time of the elections.

The unanimous judgment, delivered by Justice Moore Adumein, was met with enthusiastic celebrations that resonated throughout the court for several minutes.