WorldStage Newsonline– The Supreme Court upholds election of Abba Yusuf as duly elected governor of Kano State.
The apex court set aside the verdicts of the Court of Appeal and election petitions tribunal, which nullified the victory of Yusuf in the March 18, 2023 governorship poll.
A five-member panel of the apex court in a judgment delivered by Justice John Okor, held that the tribunal and the court of appeal erred by sacking Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), as governor of the state
Yusuf , and his party NNPP, had filed an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed his sacking as earlier pronounced by the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The tribunal had sacked Yusuf and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw his certificate of return and instead issue same to to Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
However, not satisfied with the Tribunal judgment, Yusuf had approached the Appeal Court. But the appellate court had while affirming his sack, further held that the governor was not a member of the party as of the time of the election and could not have been said to have been properly sponsored for the election.
ZAMFARA
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the Zanfara 2023 governorship poll.
The five-member panel of justices in a judgment read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, set aside the judgment of the Court of appeal that declared the election inconclusive.
BAUCHI
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of Bala Mohammed as duly elected governor of Bauchi State.
The Judgment was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa.
LAGOS
The Supreme Court upholds Babajide Sanwo-Olu as duly elected governor of Lagos State.
The apex court dismissed the appeal of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party for lacking in merit.
Justice Garba Lawal prepared and read the lead judgment in the Lagos State governorship dispute.
Other justices, who made up the panel for Lagos- Justices Inyang Okoro, Emmanuel Agim, uwani Abba-aji, Adamu Jauro are reading their version.
It’s a unanimous decision.
They said the petition was a gross abuse of court process.
Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress defeated the candidates of the LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and PDP’s Azeez Adediran, to win the governorship election.
Displeased with the outcome of the election, the LP and PDP candidates challenged Sanwo-Olu’s victory at the tribunal.
The tribunal dismissed their petitions for lacking in merit.
Challenging the decision at the Court of Appeal, Adediran filed 34 grounds of appeal, while Rhodes-Vivour filled 21. The appeals were also dismissed.
The two candidates appealed against the appellate court’s judgment and asked the apex court to vacate the order.
