The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to challenge his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
During today’s proceedings, the Counsel to Governor Abba, Wole Olanipekun, SAN asked that the judgment of the tribunal be set aside, stating that it was the first time in history that a tribunal will annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.
He argued that the tribunal erred, in entertaining a petition by a political party without joining its candidate as a party in the petition and the candidate would be declared winner of the polls.
Counsel for the All-Progressives Congress (APC) Akin Olujimi however, countered him saying the appeal court stated emphatically that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice.
The appeal court panel subsequently reserved judgment, saying a date would be communicated to the parties.
A three-member panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Osadebay sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, by declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
