The Supreme Court declares Abba Yusuf as the duly elected governor of Kano, displacing the dominance of Ganduje by Kwankwaso

There was a bit of relief in the political tension in Kano State as the Supreme Court delivered a judgment declaring Abba Yusuf as the duly elected governor of the state.

Observing the Supreme Court’s judgment, it is evident that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has exerted his political dominance over the state against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.

Kwankwaso, who is the leader of NNPP in Kano State, commands a large followership base with his Kwankwasiyya movement.

Historically, Kwankwaso and Ganduje have had a strained relationship, with both vying for control of the state.

Despite their differences, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Yusuf as the winner of the February 2023 governorship election in the state.

Although Governor Yusuf’s victory was contested by the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, a former Deputy Governor to Ganduje, Yusuf emerged victorious, securing 1,019,602 votes against Gawuna’s 890,705 votes.

Gawuna appealed the results declared by the Kano governorship election petition tribunal in September 2023, leading to the tribunal and the Appeal Court nullifying Yusuf’s victory as governor of the state.

The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total votes, citing that the ballot papers were not stamped, signed, and dated as required by law.

However, the Supreme Court affirmed Yusuf’s victory, ruling that two major fundamental flaws were discovered in the findings of the Tribunal and the Count of Appeal, leading to a miscarriage of justice.

Justice John Inyang Okoro reversed the unlawful removal of 165, 616 votes from the total votes cast for the NNPP and its governorship candidate in the poll.