Appeal Court Sacks Kano Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.

Recall that a three-man panel headed by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, had dismissed Yusuf’s win on September 20, 2023, citing 165,663 votes as invalid due to the absence of signatures or stamps from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This ruling led to a reduction in the governor’s vote count, dropping it to 853,939, while the votes of Nasir Ganuwa from the All Progressives Congress (APC) remained at 890,705.

Subsequently, the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Court nullified Yusuf’s victory, affirming the APC candidate as the legitimate winner of the March 18 election.

Governor Yusuf, seeking to overturn the lower court’s decision, lodged an appeal with the higher court.

In its verdict, the Appeal Court upheld the tribunal’s decision, highlighting that Governor Yusuf was ineligible to participate in the election, stating that he was not a member of the NNPP during the election period.

The unanimous ruling prompted a spirited celebration, echoing through the court with thunderous jubilation for several minutes.