BREAKING: Appeal Court sacks Yusuf, declares Gawuna as Kano Governor

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP challenging the ruling of the election petition tribunal sacking him from the Kano Governor’s seat.

The election petition tribunal had on September 20, the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and give it to Nasiru Gawuna.

The three-person panel presided over by Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total votes.The court declared the deducted votes invalid because the ballot papers were not stamped or signed.

Abba Kabir Yusuf and the NNPP subsequently appealed the ruling.

In its sitting today (Friday), the Appeal Court in Abuja said Abba Kabir Yusuf is not a member of the NNPP when he contested the election.

Section 177 of the Constitution requires one to be a member of a political party before he could be vie for an electoral office. 

The court subsequently dismissed the appeal, and affirmed the lower court’s ruling that gives victory to Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the APC.