The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the appeal filed by the Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal and the State Election Petitions Tribunal, which sacked him from office and declared Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress, as the authentic winner of the March 18 election in the state.
The Supreme Court panel of five justices, presided by Justice Inyang Okoro on Thursday, reserved the judgment after listening to the legal representations from both sides.
Premium Politics reported that Governor Yusuf of Kano State and the New Nigeria People Party filed the appeal challenging the November 17 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which nullified their victory in the last election in the state.
In their appeal, Yusuf and the NNPP notified the apex court of the contradictions in the Certified True Copy of the judgment which upheld the governor’s election and awarded him the sum of N1 million in damages.
A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Moore A. Adumein however upheld the appeal of Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress.
The panel ruled that Yusuf was not a registered member of the NNPP and, therefore, not qualified to contest the election.
However, all the parties in their argument before the apex court on Thursday, raised issues concerning the jurisdiction of the court in political party membership of a candidate.
Their legal representations also argued on whether the court could “visit the sin” of INEC’s failure to sign over 160,000 ballot papers on the voters in Kano State.
