The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the decision of the Election Petitions Tribunal, sacking Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State. The NNPP, in a statement on Wednesday, described the situation as a scandalous judicial debacle.
On November 17, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had affirmed the Election Petitions Tribunal’s ruling, which declared Governor Yusuf ineligible to contest the election. The court cited a breach of the Electoral Law in the fielding of Abba Yusuf as he was deemed unqualified.
The initial tribunal decision, delivered on September 20, had ousted Yusuf and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the winner of the March 18 election. However, the release of the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment on Tuesday contradicted what was announced at the Court of Appeal last Friday.
Ladipo Johnson, spokesperson for the NNPP, addressed the matter during an appearance on Arise TV News, emphasising that the discrepancies between the information presented last Friday and the contents of the official CTC report need urgent clarification.
“It is very unfortunate that we have come to this low state as a country regarding the judiciary. I am a legal practitioner, and it hurts me; it pains the heart that this is the sort of situation that we find ourselves in,” expressed Johnson.
He highlighted the time sensitivity of lodging an appeal, stating, “You just have a 14-day window to lodge your appeal at the Supreme Court, so when you deliver judgment on Friday and you don’t give the CTC to counsel till some five days later, it really makes no sense.”
The NNPP anticipates that the matter will be resolved by the Supreme Court, bringing clarity to the conflicting information surrounding the governorship election dispute in Kano State.
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