Confusion as Appeal Court certified judgement affirms Kano Gov’s victory

There was confusion in Kano State when a certified copy of the Appeal Court judgement on the Kano State Governorship election affirming the victory of Abba Yusuf as the duly elected governor emerged.

The widely reported verdict of the court last Friday indicated that the appellate court upheld the decision of the petition tribunal to sack Governor Abba Yusuf. The state attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa-Dederi, argued that a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment showed that Yusuf’s victory at the poll was affirmed by the appeal court.

As indicated in the written judgement, the Court of Appeal set aside the judgement of the Kano election petition tribunal for lacking merit.

However, in the evidence contained on page 67 of the copy of the Appeal Court judgement released on Tuesday, signed by the registrar, Mr. Jameel Ibrahim Umar, the appellate court upheld the victory of Abba Kabiru Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

The three-member panel of the Appeal Court, on Friday, November 17, 2023, dismissed the appeal filed by Governor Yusuf on the basis of his membership status.

The appellate court subsequently affirmed Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the March 25, 2023, governorship poll in Kano.

Justice Haruna Dederi, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, while addressing journalists on Tuesday evening,  said page 67 of the certified copy of the judgement clearly indicated that the tribunal’s ruling that sacked Governor Yusuf was set aside.

Barrister Dederi insisted that contrary to what the judges read to the public in the courtroom on 17th November, the written evidence has vindicated Yusuf as the legitimate Governor of Kano State.