The Supreme Court has declared Abba Kabir Yusuf as duly elected Governor of Kano State.
A five-member panel of the apex court held that the tribunal and the court of appeal erred by sacking Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), as governor of the state.
The supreme court had reserved judgment after hearing the appeals on December 21, 2023.
In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yusuf as the winner of the Kano governorship election.
Also, Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has also been declared as validly elected governor of Bauchi State.
The appellate court had in November affirmed Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18 governorship election.
This followed earlier judgement by the tribunal upholding Mohammed’s victory.
In the Court of Appeal judgement, the panel of three justices were unanimous, awarding no cost as the court ruled that each party to the matter should bear their costs.
The presiding judge, Justice Chidi Nwaoma Uwa, read the judgment in the order of the appellant’s plea before the appeal court.
On plea number one, the appellant had pleaded that the election be nullified because the forms and booklets used in the election were not properly filled. The court ruled that the appellant failed to prove this allegation with the needed evidence.
Earlier, Babajide Sanwo-olu, also triumphed at the Supreme Court in an appeal filed by Labour Party candidate in the election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, following Sanwo-Olu’s running mate qualification.
He claimed that the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, had renounced his citizenship as a Nigerian.
