The Supreme Court has announced that judgment would be delivered in an appeal challenging the election of Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje on January 20.
The date for the judgment was set after a seven-member panel, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, listened to arguments of the lawyers in the matter on Tuesday.
The Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) candidate in the March 9, 2019 election, Abba Kabiru-Yusuf is asking the apex court to declare him the duly elected governor of Kano State having scored the highest votes in line with Section 179 of the Electoral Act.
In his argument, Kabiru-Yussuf’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) asked the Supreme Court to make an order that will set aside the judgments of the lower courts which affirmed the election of Ganduje, contending that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer in Kano had announced the result of the March 9, 2019 election in the 44 local government areas (LGAs) in the state and issued Form EC8D, which is summary of the results of the 44 LGs, only to cancel the results already declared at the 207 polling units.
Arguing further, Awomolo said that the Supreme Court in other decisions had held that returning officer canceling the results of LGAs ultra virus his powers and therefore, is null and void.
Countering the argument, Ahmed Raji (SAN), Alex Izinyon (SAN) and Offiong Offiong (SAN) representing INEC, APC, and Governor Ganduje respectively asked the apex court to dismiss the appeal.
They contended that there was no evidence that the Returning Officer canceled votes, but what is on record is his inability to collate the results on that day.
