FRI, JAN 12 2024-theGBJournal|The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday delivered its final verdict on governorship election disputes across Kano, Bauchi, Lagos and Zamfara States, bringing to a close all 2023 General Election matters in the country.
Kano State, one of the most keenly disputed election cases, the Supreme affirmed the election of NNPP’s governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf as the State’s Governor, over ruling an earlier Appeal Court verdict which had sacked Yusuf.
The Five-member Supreme Court justices ruled that the Election Tribunal and Appeal Court erred in sacking Yusuf.
The Justices unanimously agreed that both the Tribunal and Appeal Court misunderstood the import of the purported deduction of 165, 616 ballot papers in favour of Yusuf.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the Justices dismissed the question around Yusuf’s membership of NNPP as a pre-election matter.
Meanwhile, in Bauchi State, the Supreme Court affirmed the election of Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Governor of the State, dismissing the appeal filed against his election by Sadique Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for lacking merit.
In Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had his seat secured after the Supreme affirmed his election.
Justice Garba Lawal who read the lead judgement dismissed the appeal brought by Labour Party, Nigeria (LP) candidate, Rhodes-Vivour who among others contested the eligibility of the Sanwo-Olu’s running mate for the election.
The lead justice dismissed Rhodes-Vivour’s case for lacking merit.
Similarly, the Supreme Court affirmed Dauda Lawal as the duly elected Governor of Zamfara State.
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