Politics
JUST IN: Court Reserves Judgment In Kano Governorship Appeal
JUST IN: Court Reserves Judgment In Kano Governorship Appeal
By Admin, Nov. 6,2023
The Appeal Court Sitting In Abuja Has Reserved Judgment In The Appeal Filed By Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf Of The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Against The Judgment Of The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Which Declared The All Progressive Congress (APC) Flagbearer, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Winner Of The Election.
It Could Be Recalled That A Three-Man Panel Of The Tribunal Led By Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay Had Sacked Yusuf On September 20, 2023, After Deducting 165,663 Of His Votes.
The Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Yusuf winner of the March 18, 2023 election, saying he garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast.
But the APC approached the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice.
The Tribunal agreeing with the APC, nullified Yusuf’s election, adding that over 160,000 ballot papers “were not signed or stamped by INEC”.
Yusuf’s votes were subsequently reduced to 853,939 while Ganuwa’s 890,705 votes were not affected.
The governor then filed an appeal before the appellate court.
The APC, INEC and the NNPP also entered cross-appeals before the court.
On Monday, the governor’s lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun SAN (who was lead counsel for Tinubu at the PEPC), urged the court to allow the appellant’s appeal and set aside in its entirety, the judgement of the lower Tribunal.
Olanipekun argued that the lower Tribunal has created new precedents which depart from all the judgments made by the appellate or Supreme Court.
On the issue of ballot papers, he contended that this is the first time in the history of the court that a Tribunal will annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.
“In doing that, the lower Tribunal erred,” Olanipekun said.
He further argued that this was the first time that a political party filed a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition and the latter was declared winner of the polls.
“Can a political party be sworn after an election or take an oath?,” Olanipekun argued holding that the judgement of the lower Tribunal should not be allowed to stand
Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel for APC, in his reply on the issue of valid ballot, said the decisions of the Appeal Courts right from 2009 have emphatically stated if non signing of ballots amounts to electoral malpractice.
He argued that INEC regulations have set out what presiding officers are to do at the point of voting, adding that the back of ballot papers must be signed and dated.
He said where there is a failure of presiding officers to do the needful, it amounts to non-compliance to the Electoral Act.
On the APC candidate who was not joined as a party at the Tribunal, Olujimi said it is settled law that votes are cast for the party in an election and that any decision affecting a political party embraces all its members.
“Judgement in this appeal is hereby reserved to a date to be communicated to the parties,” the court of appeal said.
In the APC’s cross-appeal, Olujimi also urged the court to hold that the Kano State governor was not a member of the NNPP as of the time he was sponsored by the party.
A.B Mahmoud SAN, counsel for INEC, asked the appeal court to dismiss APC’s cross-appeal for lacking in merit.
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The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, has distributed 13 buses to tertiary institutions in Kano State to enhance teaching, learning and institutional mobility.
The buses were presented to selected universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and secondary institutions to ease transportation challenges faced by staff and students during academic, administrative and extracurricular activities.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Bichi said the intervention was aimed at supporting educational institutions to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
According to him, education remains the bedrock of development and requires sustained support to thrive.
“Providing these buses is our modest contribution towards creating an enabling environment for learning and academic excellence in Kano State,” he said.
Bichi, who represents Bichi Federal Constituency, noted that the initiative aligned with his commitment to attracting meaningful interventions to the education sector through his legislative responsibilities.
“As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I consider it a duty to ensure that institutions in Kano State benefit from opportunities that enhance their capacity,” he added.
Details of the distribution showed that Bayero University, Kano; Northwest University, Kano; and Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, each received two buses, while the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, also received two buses.
Other beneficiaries include Yusuf Maitama Sule University of Education, Kano; Kano State Polytechnic; Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education; Ibrahim Ayagi Science Secondary School, Dawakin Tofa; and Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, which each received one bus.
Representatives of the beneficiary institutions expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as timely and impactful.
One of the officials said the buses would significantly reduce transportation challenges and support academic fieldwork, student movement and official engagements.
Stakeholders described the distribution as a demonstration of the dividends of democracy and called for sustained collaboration between lawmakers and educational institutions to further strengthen education in Kano State.
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Kano State House of Assembly and the Bauchi State House of Assembly have agreed to strengthen cooperation aimed at improving lawmaking processes and reforming revenue administration in both states.
The resolution was reached when members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, led by the Chairman, Committee on Finance, paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Jibril Ismail Falgore.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Speaker’s Spokesperson, Kamaluddeen Shawai on Wednesday in Kano.
Falgore, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Butu -Butu, commended the Bauchi lawmakers for the visit and reaffirmed the Kano Assembly’s commitment to deepen collaboration in legislation, House procedures and revenue-related reforms.
Falgore who responded to a condolence message from the Bauchi delegation, said the Kano Assembly was still mourning the loss of two of its members and appreciated the show of solidarity.
He also assured the delegation that the Kano State Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Revenue Harmonization Law of 2016 remained in force and was available for review by the Bauchi Assembly.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly, Lawal Hussain Dala, said the harmonised tax law was enacted to eliminate multiple taxation and enhance efficiency in revenue collection.
Dala recalled the long-standing relationship between Kano and Bauchi states, noting that Bauchi had influenced Kano’s political development since the era of Malam Aminu Kano, with both states benefiting from shared legislative experiences.
Similarly, the Clerk of the house,, Alhaji Bashir Diso, emphasised the importance of the harmonised tax law to both states and thanked the Bauchi delegation for the visit.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Committee on Finance, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Tanko Nura, commended the performance of Kano’s Appropriation Committee and other standing committees.
He said the visit was aimed at exchanging ideas and seeking approval to obtain a copy of the harmonised tax law for study and possible implementation in Bauchi State.
The document, he explained, would be studied in detail with a view to assessing its applicability and potential implementation in Bauchi State, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s fiscal framework and enhance revenue generation for sustainable development.
“We are committed to working together, learning from Kano’s achievements over the years and doing what is best for our people,” Tanko said.
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The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Jibril Falgore, has condemned the killing of a woman and her six children in the state, describing the incident as barbaric and heartbreaking.
Falgore, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kamaluddeen Shawai, said the arrest of three suspects by the Nigeria Police Force was a welcome development toward ensuring justice for the victims.
He urged security agencies to carry out thorough investigations to ensure that all those involved in the crime were brought to justice.
The Speaker commended the swift response of the police, noting that crimes of such nature must not be allowed to go unpunished in the state.
“This shocking incident committed against an innocent woman and her children is painful and unacceptable. While we commend the police for arresting suspects, investigations must be exhaustive until justice is fully served,” he said.
Falgore aligned himself with the call by the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for prompt and transparent handling of the case to reassure residents of the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
He assured that the Kano State House of Assembly would continue to support security agencies in their efforts to maintain peace and security across the state.
The Speaker expressed condolences, on behalf of the Assembly, to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Kano State, urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and asked Allah to grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.
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