April 12, 2023
The All Progressives Congress, (APC) has asked the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to declare the March 18 election in the state inconclusive.
The party is challenging the declaration of Alhaji Abba Kabir-Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP)as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Kabir-Yusuf of the NNPP polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat his rival the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, of APC who scored 892,705 votes.
In a five volume petition, filed dated April 9, the APC alleged that Kabir-Yusuf of NNPP was not qualified to contest the election on the grounds that his name was not on the list of members of NNPP sent to INEC.
The respondents in the petition are NNPP, Kabir-Yusuf and INEC.
The APC alleged that NNPP did not win the election with the majority of lawful votes, arguing that some of the votes cast were invalid and if removed from the scores, APC will have the highest number of votes cast.
APC alleged that the Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) was wrong for declaring Kabir-Yusuf the winner, adding that the margin of lead was not higher than the votes cancelled.
The party prayed the tribunal to declare that NNPP had no candidate and Kabir-Yusuf ‘s name was not in the register of voters submitted to INEC at the time of the election.
The APC prayed the tribunal to declare its candidate, Dr Nasiru Gawuna winner of the election.
The party similarly prayed the tribunal in the alternative to declare the election as inconclusive, alleging that the margin of lead was not more than the votes cancelled.
Meanwhile, the Kano APC Legal adviser, Malam Abdul Adamu-Fagge, told NAN that the court has granted an ex-Parte motion to inspect the governorship election materials in all the 44 Local government of the state.
The APC Governatorial candidate Gawuna was not joined in the petition.
According to rule of the Tribunal, the Respondents have 21 to respond to the petition after court processes served on them.(NAN)
