In a pivotal ruling on December 21, a five-member panel of judges led by Justice Inyang Okoro at the Supreme Court announced the reservation of judgment in the protracted Kano governorship election dispute.
The decision followed a legal challenge brought by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its candidate, Governor Abba Yusuf, contesting the election tribunal and Court of Appeal rulings that unseated Yusuf as governor.
Recall that the election tribunal, in September, deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s tally due to unstamped, unsigned, and undated ballot papers, ultimately declaring Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.
Despite the subsequent Appeal Court’s affirmation of the tribunal’s decision, controversy emerged over conflicting certified true copies of the judgment, prompting social media outrage.
The Supreme Court, after hearing arguments from all parties involved, has withheld its judgment, leaving the political fate of Kano State’s governorship in suspense. The date for the final decision will be communicated to the concerned parties.
