2023 Kano State governorship election petition — APC candidate Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna's challenge to Abba Kabir Yusuf's election, dismissed by the Supreme Court on 12 January 2024
- Recorded status
- Dismissed
- Type / forum
- Electoral · Supreme Court Of Nigeria (On Appeal From The Court Of Appeal And The Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal)
- Case number
- Not recorded
- Filed
- Not recorded
- Resolved
- 2024-01-12
Recorded outcome
The Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal nullified Abba Kabir Yusuf's election in September 2023, deducted 165,616 votes credited to him on the ground that the ballot papers were not stamped, signed and dated as required by the Electoral Act, and declared APC candidate Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna the winner of the 18 March 2023 Kano governorship election. A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal affirmed the tribunal's decision and additionally held that Yusuf was not a valid member of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) at the time of the election, hence not validly sponsored. On 12 January 2024, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment led by Justice John Inyang Okoro, allowed Yusuf's appeal, set aside the concurrent decisions of the two lower courts, restored the deducted votes, held that the nomination of a candidate is exclusively the internal affair of a political party and is not justiciable, and affirmed Abba Kabir Yusuf as the duly elected Governor of Kano State.
Read the evidence · 4 sources
- premiumtimesng.com
The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, whose victory at the March 2023 poll was earlier overturned by the two lower courts. A panel of Justices of the Supreme Court led by Inyang Okoro unanimously set aside the concurrent decisions of the two lower courts which had sacked the governor from office over alleged irregularities during the March 2023 disputed election. ... "There is merit in this appeal. And the appeal is hereby allowed. The appellant won majority of lawful votes. The judgement of the lower court voiding the election of the appellant is hereby set aside," Mr Okoro ruled.
- lawglobalhub.com
Yusuf Abba Kabir v. All Progressives Congress (APC) & Ors (2024) — LAWGLOBAL HUB Lead Judgment Report – SUPREME COURT — JOHN INYANG OKORO, JSC (Delivering the leading judgment). At the conclusion of the Governorship election in Kano State held on 18th March, 2023, the 2nd respondent herein (INEC) returned the appellant (sponsored by the 3rd respondent (NNPP)) as the winner of the said election with 1,019,602 votes ahead of his closest rival, one Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who scored a total of 890,705 votes.
- thecable.ng
The supreme court has certified the election of Abba Yusuf as Kano state governor. A five-member panel of the apex court held that the tribunal and the court of appeal erred by sacking Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP), as governor of the state. ... The panel led by John Okoro held that the tribunal was wrong to have invalidated 165,663 votes from the votes polled by Yusuf. ... Consequently, the court held that "the judgment of the lower court voiding the election of the appellant is hereby set aside". ... In September, the Kano governorship election petition tribunal sacked Yusuf as governor of the state. ... On November 17, 2023, the court of appeal upheld the tribunal's verdict and added that Yusuf was not a member of the NNPP when he contested the election.
- icirnigeria.org
THE Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Kabir Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) as the governor of Kano state. The court reversed the judgement of the state Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal that sacked him. ... Delivering the lead ruling on Friday, January 12, Okoro overturned the Court of Appeal's ruling on the two main grounds that formed the basis of the lower court's decision to remove Yusuf. The Supreme Court reinstated votes deducted from Yusuf to arrive at its decision and said it was his party's right to choose him as its candidate. ... In a judgment delivered on Friday, November 17, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal's decision to sack Yusuf.
Record checked 20 Aug 2026