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 Kano State House of Assembly has expressed concern over what it described as injustice and regional imbalance in the ongoing recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The lawmakers alleged that the process heavily favoured states from the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West region, at the expense of the North.
The concern followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Majority Leader, Alhaji Lawan Hussaini Dala, during Thursday’s plenary session.
Presenting the motion, Dala said the recruitment exercise violated the principles of Federal Character meant to ensure equity and fair representation in federal employment.
He said that out of a total of 1,785 persons recruited nationwide, the South-West received more than half of the total slots, describing the distribution as “grossly unfair and unacceptable.”
According to him, Lagos got 207 slots, Ogun 145, Ondo 132, Osun 127, Oyo 108 and Ekiti 93 — making a total of 812 recruits from the South-West alone.
“In comparison, the North-West received only about seven per cent of the total recruitment, with Kano getting 31, Katsina 20, Jigawa 18 and Zamfara 16,” he said.
Dala said the entire northern region got only 651 slots, while the majority were allotted to southern states.
He called on the House to officially communicate its position to relevant federal authorities, including the National Assembly, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and the Nigeria Customs Service, to demand a review of the exercise in the interest of fairness and inclusivity.
The Majority Leader warned that continued regional imbalance in federal employment could fuel mistrust and threaten national unity.
Other members who contributed to the debate supported the motion and urged northern lawmakers at the National Assembly to take up the matter for redress.
They stressed that equitable representation in federal recruitment remained vital to sustaining Nigeria’s unity and promoting a sense of belonging among citizens.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Alhaji Jibril Ismail Falgore, commended Dala for raising the motion, describing it as patriotic and in defence of justice and fairness.
He directed the relevant House Committee to investigate the recruitment figures and report back for further legislative action.
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500 NNPP supporters defect to APC in Kano
Defection
Kano, Five hundreds of members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from Fagge and Ungogo Local Government Areas of Kano State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, received the defectors on Tuesday, saying their move reflects growing confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and APC’s progressive vision.
Bichi noted APC’s development-oriented policies were attracting Nigerians, citing defection of some governors as testament to the party’s strength.
He assured new members of equal opportunity and integration into APC, saying no member would be marginalized.
Bichi highlighted APC-led government’s visionary policies on food security and economic growth, noting Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin’s modern irrigation techniques align with Tinubu’s food security agenda.
Former APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by Kano APC Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, commended defectors for joining APC, assuring them of sustainable development commitment.
Kano Central APC Chairman Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Ungogo said Tinubu’s policies had boosted Nigeria’s economy, restoring public confidence in APC.
Defectors cited APC’s developmental strides and commitment to improving Nigerians’ lives as reasons for their move, expressing optimism it would enhance party’s grassroots strength ¹ ² ³.
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MD Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Welcomes Hundreds of NNPP Members into APC
By Ahmed Mohammad Kano
The Managing Director of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, Eng.Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, on Tuesday received hundreds of defectors from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Fagge and Ungogo Local Government Areas of Kano State.
Speaking at the reception ceremony, Bichi said the mass defection was a clear indication of the growing confidence Nigerians have in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the progressive vision of the APC.
He noted that Nigerians were increasingly embracing the party due to its development-oriented policies, adding that the recent defection of some state governors to the APC was further proof of the party’s strength and national appeal.
Bichi assured the new members of equal opportunity and full integration into the party, stating that no member would be marginalized.
He said the APC-led Federal Government had introduced visionary policies aimed at uplifting the welfare of citizens, particularly in areas of food security and economic growth.
Highlighting the contributions of the Hadejia-Jam’are River Basin Development Authority, the Managing Director revealed that modern irrigation techniques have been introduced in line with President Tinubu’s food security agenda and efforts to boost agricultural productivity.
In a goodwill message, the immediate past National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by the Kano State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, commended the defectors for their decision to join the ruling party.
He assured them that they would not regret their decision, as the APC remains committed to delivering sustainable development across the country.
Also speaking, the Kano Central APC Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Ungogo, who represented Abbas, said President Tinubu’s policies had significantly boosted the nation’s economy, thereby restoring public confidence in the APC.
Some of the defectors, while speaking to journalists, said their decision was influenced by the developmental strides of the APC-led government and the party’s commitment to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
They expressed optimism that their defection would contribute to the party’s grassroots strength and overall success in future elections.
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