Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Kano state, had been restored as the bonafide winner of the March 18 governorship election.
The judgement was pronounced by the Abuja Supreme Court.
The decision was made by the Apex court in a five-member panel of Justices, on Friday, when the previous judgements of the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sacked governor Yusuf and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as winner of the gubernatorial poll.
It could be recalled that 165,663 votes that were deducted from Yusuf and the NNPP on the premise the ballot papers were not signed, stamped or dated, were valid.
The court held that contrary to the position of the lower courts, a total of 146, 292 of the ballot papers were confirmed to have been signed and stamped, only that they did not contain any date.
It held that by section 63(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, that ballot papers, which bore the official mark and was duly issued by INEC, were not totally invalid.
Besides, the court held that there was no evidence that governor Yusuf influenced the non signing of the ballot papers.
More so, the court faulted the lower courts for nullifying Yusuf’s election on the premise that he was not a member of the NNPP.
It held that the issue of sponsorship of a candidate in an election was within the domestic affairs of a political party.
It held that Yusuf won the governorship election by majority of lawful votes and was duly nominated by his political party, all of this made him a valid winner of the governorship election.
