The Supreme Court has overturned the verdict of the Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja that sacked Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, as the winner of the governorship election that held March 18, 2023.
In the lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, on Friday in Abuja, the apex Court in a unanimous decision abrogated the judgments of the two lower courts which declared the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Nasiru Gawuna, the winner.
The judgment reached by a five- member panel of justices held that the 165,663 votes that were deducted from Yusuf and the NNPP on the premise the ballot papers were not signed, stamped or dated, were valid.
The court held that contrary to the position of the lower courts, a total of 146, 292 of the ballot papers were confirmed to have been signed and stamped, only that they did not contain any date. held that the two lower courts wrongly deducted valid votes that were credited to governor Yusuf by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It held that by section 63(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, that ballot papers, which bore the official mark and was duly issued by INEC, were not totally invalid.
It also held that there was no evidence that governor Yusuf influenced the non signing of the ballot papers.
It went on to fault the lower courts for nullifying Yusuf’s election on the premise that he was not a member of the NNPP
It held that the issue of sponsorship of a candidate in an election was within the domestic affairs of a political party.
It held that Yusuf won the governorship election by majority of lawful votes and was duly nominated by his political party.
In a related development the Supreme Courts also upheld the elections of Governor Bawa Mohammed of Bauchi State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State.