THE New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has retained its hold as the ruling party in Kano State as the Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Yusuf, who contested under the NNPP was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged his victory in court.
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A five-member panel of justices on Friday, January 12, unanimously held that the lower court misunderstood the import of the purported deduction of 165,616 ballot papers in favour of Governor Yusuf.
The lead judgment by Justice Inyang Okoro also held that the issue of Governor Yusuf’s membership was a pre-election matter.
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He said the finding that by Section 177(c) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 134(1) of the Electoral Act, Governor Yusuf was not sponsored by the NNPP, was not a finding of the electoral tribunal but a mere observation that his name was not contained in the membership list
“This court has consistently maintained that the issue of nomination or sponsorship of a candidate for an election is completely an exclusive prerogative of the political party,” he held.
Detail shortly….