The political landscape in Kano State is currently in disarray following the unexpected emergence of a certified true copy (CTC) of the Appeal Court judgment concerning Abba Kabiru Yusuf, the state governor.
Initially reported on Tuesday that the Appeal Court had ousted the governor, the later-released CTC contradicts this information by upholding Abba Kabiru Yusuf’s victory as the duly elected Governor of Kano under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
This revelation overturns the earlier decision of the tribunal, which dismissed Abba Kabiru Yusuf’s appeal due to his membership status.
The certified true copy not only affirms Governor Yusuf’s electoral triumph but also contradicts the appellate court judges’ ruling, which declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 25, 2023, governorship poll in Kano.
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Upon closer inspection, the appellate court’s judgment reveals multiple contradictions.
Initially favoring the APC, the judgment stated, “I will conclude by stating that the live issues in this appeal are hereby resolved in favour of the 1st respondent (APC) and against the appellant (Governor Abba Yusuf).”
However, it further complicated matters by declaring, “In the circumstances, I resolve all the issues in favour of the appellant (NNPP) and against the 1st respondent (APC),” leading to the dismissal of the appeal.
Paradoxically, the court’s final line set aside the tribunal’s judgment that initially removed the governor, stating, “The judgment of the tribunal In Petition No.: EPT/KN/GOV/01/2023 between: ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) v. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS. delivered on the 20th day of September, 2023 is hereby set aside,” according to the CTC of the judgment.
The Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had earlier dismissed Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the winner on March 18. Seeking a reversal, the governor approached the appellate court through counsel, Wole Olanipekun.
However, the unanimous ruling on Friday asserted the governor’s invalid candidacy in the election.
Kano’s Attorney General, Haruna Dederi, emphasized the contradiction between the written evidence and the public statement made by the judges on November 17, affirming Yusuf as the rightful governor of Kano State.
In response to the situation, an APC chieftain acknowledged the CTC’s authenticity and mentioned the forthcoming receipt of the “corrected version,” attributing the confusion to a typographical error that has already been rectified.
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