Appeal Court Finally Sacks Kano Governor Yusuf, Declares APC’s Gawuna As Winner

ABUJA – The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday, November 17, 2023 nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.

It would be recalled that a three-man panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay had earlier sacked Gocernor Yusuf on September 20, 2023, by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid.

The court was of opinion that the votes were invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The panel however upheld the judgement delivered by the tribunal which sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023.

The tribunal said the petitioner was able to prove the allegation of the invalidity of some of the votes on the grounds that the election was not in compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The tribunal had declared 165,663 votes of Yusuf, who contested under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), invalid on the grounds that they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the APC approached the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice.

The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939 while those of Nasir Ganuwa, his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, remained at 890,705.

Therefore, the tribunal ordered that the invalid votes be expunged from Yusuf’s scores.

INEC had announced Yusuf winner of the March 18, 2023 election, after he allegedky garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast.