The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ruled to remove Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from office and has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 18 election.
Yusuf, who contested on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While Nasir Gawuna, his APC rival, who came a distance third, congratulated him. The party then proceeded to court.
The judgment was read virtually via Zoom, a teleconference service, as the panel members were not physically present in the courtroom.
Following the conclusion of closing arguments by lawyers representing both parties on 21 August, the ruling was issued weeks later.
Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared that the NNPP polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat the APC with its candidate, Nasir Gawuna, who scored 890,705 votes. The NNPP candidate thus won with a margin of 128,897 votes
However, the APC lodged a petition with the tribunal in order to contest the results announced by the electoral commission.
The three-man panel, on Wednesday, ordered the withdrawal of certificate of return which INEC presented to Yusuf, and directed a certificate of return to be issued to Gawuna.
The court deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf as invalid, stating that the ballot papers (165,663) were not stamped or signed and therefore declared invalid.
