The Court of Appeal in Abuja has sacked Abba Yusuf as governor of Kano State, and upheld the decision of the lower election petition tribunal that earlier nullified the governor’s election.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal led by Moore Adumein, in a unanimous judgement on Friday, declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 18 March governorship election in Kano State.
The tribunal had declared Mr Gawuna of the APC the winner of the election after removing what it described as invalid votes cast in favour of Mr Yusuf.
But the Court of Appeal anchored its decision on disqualification of Mr Yusuf as a candidate in the election.
The court held that he was not a member of the NNPP as of the time of the election.
The court added without being a member of a political party, Mr Yusuf could not have been validly nominated to run for the election in March.
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“Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP as of the time he was purportedly sponsored on 18 March for the Kano Governorship election,” the judge ruled.
“The tribunal was wrong not to have disqualified the appellant, Governor Yusuf. The failure of NNPP to properly sponsor Mr Yusuf according to Section 177 (c) of the constitution is fatal to their case.
“All the nine issues are hereby resolved against the appellant, the judge held. This appeal is hereby dismissed. The sum of N1 million is awarded as cost against Governor Yusuf,” Mr Adumein declared.
