Tribunal Declares APC’s Gawuna Winner, Removes NNPP’s Abba Yusuf In Kano

The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has made a significant decision, resulting in the removal of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from his position. The tribunal has declared Nasir Gawuna, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the March 18th election.

Previously, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Yusuf, who ran on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), as the victor of the election on March 20th. According to the results announced by Ahmad Dokko Ibrahim, the returning officer, Governor Yusuf had garnered a total of 1,019,602 votes, while Yusuf Gawuna of the APC secured 890,705 votes.

However, dissatisfied with the election outcome, Nasir Gawuna and the APC sought recourse through the tribunal. Today, the three-member panel of the tribunal issued its judgment. The tribunal ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return that INEC had presented to Governor Yusuf and directed the issuance of a certificate of return to Nasir Gawuna.

In a significant decision, the tribunal also invalidated 165,663 votes from Governor Yusuf’s total, citing that these ballot papers were neither stamped nor signed, rendering them invalid. This ruling has reshaped the political landscape in Kano state, with Nasir Gawuna emerging as the new governor-elect.