The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 election.
Governor Yusuf, who ran on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), had initially been declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, the APC challenged the result in court.
In its ruling, the three-man tribunal ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return that INEC had issued to Governor Yusuf and directed that a certificate of return be issued to Nasir Gawuna.
The tribunal also invalidated 165,663 votes from Governor Yusuf’s total, categorizing them as invalid votes because the corresponding ballot papers were neither stamped nor signed.
In response to the tribunal’s decision, a 24-hour curfew was imposed in Kano State. The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, announced the curfew and deployed a combined team of security forces across the city to enforce it.
Following the judgment and the curfew announcement, there was tension and apprehension in Kano State, with residents closing their shops and businesses due to concerns about potential unrest or attacks by hoodlums.
The tribunal’s decision has significant political implications in Kano State, as it changes the outcome of the gubernatorial election and could lead to further political developments in the region.