Tribunal sacks Abba Yusuf, declares APC’s Gawuna Kano governor

The Kano state election petition tribunal has sacked Abba Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), as the governor of the state.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday via Zoom, the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf.

The tribunal also affirmed Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Kano.

Yusuf, who was backed by Rabiu Kwankwaso, NNPP’s presidential candidate and political godfather in the state, was declared the winner of the March 11 governorship poll.

He polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat his close rival, Gawuna, who got 890,705 votes.

Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, Gawuna and his party filed a petition to challenge Yusuf’s victory.

During the proceeding, the tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from the votes recorded for Yusuf on the grounds that the ballot papers (165,663) were not stamped, signed and dated as required by law.

The court declared the 165,663 votes invalid while ordering INEC to issue a certificate of return to the APC candidate.

Following the verdict of the tribunal, Yusuf was left with 853,939 votes after the deduction of the votes declared invalid by the tribunal.

The verdict also meant that Gawuna, with 890,705 votes, was declared the winner of the election.

There has been tension in the state since the tribunal reserved judgment.

During a prayer session organised by supporters of the NNPP on Thursday, Adamu Aliyu, who was the commissioner for land in Kano, threatened the judges of the tribunal.

Aliyu said any judge who decides to receive a bribe would pay with his or her life.

He was later sacked by Yusuf over “unguarded comments”.