APC Supporters Jubilate As Appeal Court Sacks Abba Yusuf As Kano Governor (Video)

Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were seen on Friday jubilating and celebrating the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.

It was earlier reported that the Court of Appeal had sacked Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the Governor of Kano State.

The panel upheld the verdict of the tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, which sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023.

The lower court had declared 165,663 votes of Yusuf invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939 while those of Nasir Gawuna, his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, remained at 890,705.

However, Yusuf rejected the tribunal verdict, which he described as unfair and a miscarriage of justice, and headed to the appeal court.

During the court hearing on Friday, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who led for Yusuf, asked that the judgement of the tribunal be set aside.

Kicking against the ruling on ballot papers, the senior lawyer said that was the first time in history that a tribunal would annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.

He had said the tribunal erred, arguing further that that was the first time that a political party would file a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition. The candidate would declared winner of the polls.

But Akin Olujimi (SAN), counsel for APC, countered him, saying the Appeal Court stated emphatically that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice.

Delivering a judgment on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the NNPP breached the constitution by sponsoring Yusuf, who was not a member of the party.

The judges further stated that the tribunal was wrong not to have disqualified the appellant, Governor Yusuf.

Following the appellate court’s ruling, supporters of APC and Gawuna were seen in a video rejoicing inside the court premises.

See the video below.