Appeal Court Upholds Sack of Kano Gov 

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Appeal Court on Friday erupted in jubilation as a three-man panel of the appellate court affirmed the nullification of the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP’s), in the March 18 governorship election in Kano State.

The appellate court in unanimous judgment held that the NNPP breached the constitution by sponsoring Yusuf, who was not a member of the party.

Having dismissed Yusuf’s appeal, the appellate court subsequently upheld the judgment of the Kano State Election Petition Tribunal, which declared the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the authentic winner of the March 18 poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced NNPP’s Yusuf as winner of the March 18, 2023 election, having scored 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna, who got 890,705 votes.

However, following APC and Gawuna’s petition, the tribunal held that there was evidence of irregularities and corrupt practices resulting in the cancellation of over 160,000 ballot papers on grounds that the ballot papers “were not signed or stamped by INEC”.

Details later.