The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, file to challenge his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal…..
A three-man panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay had On September 20, 2023, sacked Yusuf by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, file to challenge his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Yusuf’s total votes were subsequently reduced to 853,939, while Nasir Yusuf Ganuwa of the All Progressive Congress , APC, maintained his lead with 890,705 votes. Governor Yusuf strongly disagreed with the tribunal’s verdict, labeling it as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice,” leading him to take his case to the Court of Appeal.
In the appeal court, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who represents Yusuf, argued for the setting aside of the tribunal’s judgment. He raised objections to the ruling on the basis of non-signed ballot papers, asserting that this was the first time a tribunal annulled an election on these grounds.
He also highlighted that it was the first time a political party filed a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition, yet the candidate was declared the winner.
In counter-arguments, Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel for the APC, defended the tribunal’s decision by stating that non-signed ballots were deemed electoral malpractice. He emphasized that INEC regulations stipulate that presiding officers must sign and date the back of ballot papers.
The Court of Appeal panel has reserved judgment in this case, and a date for the announcement will be communicated to all involved parties.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is anxiously anticipating the outcome of this appeal as it could significantly impact his political future and the electoral process in the state.
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