The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned the electoral fate of Kano State, declaring Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the March 18 governorship election, thereby dethroning Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The court's decision, echoing the earlier tribunal ruling led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay on September 20, 2023, stemmed from the invalidation of 165,663 votes belonging to Yusuf. The tribunal had deemed these votes, cast under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), invalid due to a lack of signatures or stamps by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Yusuf, who vehemently opposed the tribunal's decision, found himself on the losing end as the Appeals Court upheld the verdict. Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the lead counsel for Yusuf, argued that the tribunal had erred in annulling an election over the non-signing of the back of ballot papers—a historical first. Olanipekun also pointed out the unprecedented situation where a political party filed a petition without joining its candidate, yet the candidate was declared the winner.
However, Akin Olujimi SAN, representing the APC, countered Olanipekun's arguments, citing the Appeal Court's clear stance that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice. The court's decision marks a pivotal moment in Kano's political landscape, leaving residents and political observers anticipating the ripple effects of this unexpected turn of events.
