The Supreme Court has opted to reserve its judgment in the appeal presented by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, challenging the Appeal Court’s decision that led to his removal from office.
The Justice Inyang Okoro-led five-member panel of judges concluded the proceedings after hearing closing arguments from both the appellant and the respondent.
The appeal filed by Governor Yusuf, alongside the New Nigeria People Party, seeks to contest the ruling of the Court of Appeal on November 17.
This prior judgment had declared Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the governorship election held on March 26, 2023.
Governor Yusuf, determined to reclaim his mandate, had vowed to pursue the legal battle up to the Supreme Court after the electoral tribunal’s decision to uphold his removal.
The Appeal Court, sitting in Abuja, had sustained the tribunal’s ruling, nullifying Yusuf’s election and declaring APC’s Gawuna as the victor.
Justice Oluyemi Osadebay, leading the tribunal, had cited the invalidation of 165,663 votes due to unsigned and unstamped ballot papers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Yusuf had appealed this decision, but the three-member panel of the Appeal Court, headed by Justice M.A Adumeh, held that Yusuf lacked qualification to contest the election.
Emphasizing a provision of the electoral act, the court stated that a party must have both hard and soft copies of its registered members’ names, and Yusuf’s absence from the membership register was a disqualifying factor.
Justice Adumeh questioned the logic behind Yusuf’s self-proclamation of party membership and noted the absence of resistance against the allegations.
Referencing Section 134 of the electoral act, the judge highlighted the court’s authority to consider averments regarding a candidate’s qualification in an election.
The Supreme Court is expected to communicate the fixed day for delivering its judgment, adding another layer of anticipation to the protracted legal battle for the Kano State governorship.
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