The Kano State Governorship election tribunal has ruled in favor of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, dismissing a petition filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuana. The petition challenged the legitimacy of Governor Yusuf's candidature, alleging that he was not a full member of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and therefore unfit to contest.
The tribunal's judgment emphasized that an individual's membership in a political party is an internal matter and does not fall under the jurisdiction of the court. This decision mirrors a similar outcome in the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, where the APC's petition challenging Peter Obi's membership in the Labour Party (LP) was dismissed.
The ruling underscores the principle that political parties retain the authority to manage their internal affairs, including issues related to party membership. As a result, the court concluded that it could not determine the membership status of a political party's candidate, highlighting the separation of judicial and party internal matters.
