Appeal Court reserves judgement in Kano gov's appeal

The Court of Appeal has reserved judgement in the appeal filed by the Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, against his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state. The judgement was slated to be delivered today, Monday.

However, the Court of Appeal has nullified the election of a member of the House of Representatives, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency seat of Kano State.

Indeed, the Election Petitions Tribunal had removed Governor Yusuf from office, saying some ballot papers were neither signed nor stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It, consequently, declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the Kano governorship election.

Yusuf, however, appealed against the Tribunal verdict and urged the Appeal Court to nullify the judgment.

The Appeal Court has, however, reserved judgement in the governorship case it slated to deliver today.

But a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye said that NNPP’s Datti’s appeal was meritorious and ordered tbat he was duly elected.

The court also said the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the appellant’s resignation on the date of his party primary, adding that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied as the issue of membership of a political party is an internal affair, which no court has jurisdiction on.

More details later…