Anxiety as Supreme Court delivers Kano election judgement on Friday

The Supreme Court will judge the much-anticipated Kano governorship election appeals on Friday.

The legal team of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) confirmed this to Daily Trust.

“Yes, it is officially confirmed. They have told us to appear on Friday for the judgement. They told us that each party should not have more than two counsels in attendance.

“This, they said, is because they will be delivering seven judgements on that same Friday,” Bashir Tudun Wuzirci, the secretary of the NNPP legal team, confirmed.

This announcement has heightened the tension and anxiety in the ancient city of Kano as Nigerians await the judgement that will determine the fate of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

BusinessDay had earlier classified the Kano appeal as one of the major Supreme Court judgements to look out for in 2024.

Power in the north-western state shifted from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yusuf of the NNPP as the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election winner. However, his close contender, Nasira Gawuna of the APC, challenged the election outcome, alleging electoral malpractices.

The Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal had earlier nullified Yusuf’s victory and declared Gawuna the poll winner.

Yusuf and his party headed to the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the lower courts’ decisions.
The apex court reserved judgment in the case after hearing the arguments from both parties in December 2023.

The Friday judgement will determine if Yusuf will remain as Kano governor or if Gawuna of the APC will take over the affairs of the most populous Nigerian state.