The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the Kano State governorship election appeal.
After hearing from lawyers in the case, a five-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Inyang Okoro reserved the verdict on Thursday.
Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) filed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s November 17 judgement, which declared their victory in the March 19 governorship election null and void.
The party is also informing the Supreme Court of the inconsistencies in the CTC judgment that upheld the governor’s election and granted him N1 million in damages.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Moore A. Adumein approved Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) appeal.
The tribunal determined that Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was not a registered member of the party and was therefore ineligible to run in the election.
However, throughout the lengthy argument before the Supreme Court on Thursday, parties voiced concerns about the court’s authority over a candidate’s political party membership.
The lawyers also debated whether the court might “visit the sin” of INEC’s inability to sign over 160,000 voting papers for Kano State voters.
