Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has made his return to the state after the Supreme Court upheld his victory in the governorship polls held on March 18, 2023. This comes after both the Court of Appeal and the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had initially removed him from office, but the apex court overturned their decisions.
On January 14, 2024, Governor Yusuf greeted the enthusiastic crowd as he waved to them. The governor’s arrival in Tamburawa, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State was met with a large gathering of people who took to the streets to celebrate.
Supporters and well-wishers of Governor Yusuf had gathered as early as 6 am in Chiroma town, which borders Kano and Kaduna, eagerly awaiting his arrival. Instead of taking a flight, the governor chose to come to the state capital, and upon reaching Kwanar Dangora, the crowd erupted into singing and dancing.
The governor’s convoy is expected to proceed directly to Filin Mahaha in Kano metropolis, where he will address the people later in the day.
This visit marks Yusuf’s first return to Kano since the Supreme Court ruling confirmed him as the duly elected governor of the state.
The Court of Appeal’s decision to remove Yusuf came two months ago, with the panel disqualifying him as a candidate in the election due to his non-membership in the NNPP at the time. Additionally, the panel invalidated 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total count, citing the absence of stamps or signatures on the ballot papers.
The court’s judgement emphasized that it acted in the best interest of the public by allowing the APC to submit documents during the trial, as the petitioner’s claim was being undermined by INEC’s piecemeal provision of materials to the APC.
Additionally, the court stated that the 1999 Constitution did not support the argument put forth by Yusuf’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, that the APC should have included its candidate Ganuwa as a party in the tribunal proceedings.
The court clarified that a candidate is permitted to be represented by their political party during legal procedures, as political parties are mandated by the constitution to maintain a membership register and provide it to INEC and the tribunal upon request.
