The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgement in the appeal filed by the Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, against his removal from office by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state.
Also, the appellate court has sacked a member of the House of Representatives, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency seat of Kano State.
Recall that the Election Petitions Tribunal judgement that sacked the governor held that some ballot papers were neither signed nor stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Consequently, it declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the rightful winner of the Kano governorship election.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Yusuf appealed against the Tribunal verdict and urged the Appeal Court to set aside the judgment.
Having listened to all parties, the Appeal Court has now reserved judgement in the governorship case.
On the federal constituency seat, the three-man panel led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye held that NNPP’s Datti’s appeal had merit and allowed it.
The panel further averred that the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the appellant’s resignation on the date of his party primary, adding that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied as the issue of membership of a political party is an internal affair, which no court has jurisdiction on.
Details Later…
