Politics
Kano Guber Petition: Appeal Court Substitutes NNPP With APC
. . . Upholds Bala Mohammed’s election as Bauchi Governor
In a development widely seen in political circles as clipping the wings of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the Court of Appeal (CA), sitting in Abuja has ruled in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the gubernatorial petition on Kano State.
Consequently, the CA, on Friday sacked NNPP’s Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.
By upholding the ruling of the Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay led tribunal, which sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, the judiciary has almost put paid to the political fortunes of the NNPP, literarily.
Recall that the lower court had declared 165,663 votes of Yusuf, who contested under the NNPP, invalid on the grounds that they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
That ruling had reduced Yusuf’s to 853,939 while those of his APC counterpart, Nasir Ganuwa, his APC remained at 890,705.
Yusuf in rejecting the verdict described it as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice”, and headed to the appeal court.
At the court, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, lead for Yusuf, asked that the judgement of the tribunal be set aside.
Kicking against the ruling on ballot papers, the senior lawyer said that was the first time in the history that a tribunal would annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.
According to him, the tribunal erred, he also argued that, that was the first time that a political party would file a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition and the candidate would be declared winner of the polls.
However, counsel for APC, Akin Olujimi, SAN, countered that the CA stated emphatically that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice.
In a related development, the CA, Abuja Division, on Friday, affirmed the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in the March 18 governorship election.
The appeal was filed by the APC’s governorship candidate, Sadique Abubakar, following the tribunal judgment upholding Mohammed’s victory.
The panel of three justices were unanimous, awarding no cost as the court ruled that each party to the matter should bear their costs.
The presiding justice read the judgment in the order of the appellant’s plea before the appeal court.
On plea number one, the appellant pleaded that the election be nullified because the forms and booklets used in the election were not properly filled. The court ruled that the appellant failed to prove this allegation with the needed evidence.
The court also ruled that the appellant failed to state the polling units involved in the said allegations and that he was unable to state what was missing in the forms. It further held that the appellant was unable to prove how the said improperly filled forms affected the results of the election.
The court held that the witnesses called by the appellant were unable to prove that they understood what the forms looked like, while commending the tribunal for doing a thorough job by scrutinising the evidence before it.
On the plea that there was massive non-compliance with the electoral laws, the court ruled that the appellant again could not prove this, as some of the witnesses who testified did not vote on election day and those who voted only spoke based on what they saw in their polling units alone.
On the issue of the alleged unprofessional conduct of INEC officials, the court held the same views as the tribunal, saying it was never part of the plea by the appellant at the lower court and that it was not pleaded and could not be argued.
The plea was ruled in favour of the first respondent, Mohammed.
On the plea about fraudulent cancellations, mutilations and alterations to favour the PDP candidate, the appeal court noted that, if proven, falsification of results is a criminal matter that could lead to the cancellation of election results.
However, according to the court, the appellant had the burden to prove this and had to bring the genuine one, if he argued the one tendered by INEC was falsified.
The court noted that the appellant, unfortunately, could not prove this. The court also said the least the appellant could have done was present a genuine result along with the said falsified one.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a fresh attack on opposition political parties, accusing them of deceiving Nigerians and failing to live up to the democratic standards they claim to represent.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike said recent controversies surrounding the primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have exposed what he described as the hypocrisy and lack of credibility within the opposition camp.
SEE ALSO: ‘PDP Can’t Unseat Tinubu with Wike in Charge’ — Ulasi Blows Hot, Threatens Exit
According to the former Rivers State governor, parties that have consistently presented themselves as the “new face of democracy” and a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are now grappling with the same internal crises they often criticize in other political parties.
“You can’t fool Nigerians anymore,” Wike declared, insisting that the opposition’s claims of being different from the established political parties have been undermined by disputes and protests that trailed their internal elections.
He questioned the ability of the parties to provide effective leadership if they could not successfully conduct transparent and peaceful primaries.
Wike specifically pointed to complaints raised by some presidential aspirants during the parties’ congresses, arguing that the allegations of irregularities and unfair practices showed that the opposition was not immune to the political shortcomings it frequently condemns.
The FCT minister said Nigerians are increasingly becoming aware of what he called inconsistencies in the opposition’s messaging, stressing that parties cannot market themselves as political “messiahs” while struggling with internal democratic processes.
He further argued that the developments reinforce the relevance of older political parties that have spent years navigating Nigeria’s political landscape.
While noting that both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC have faced criticism in the past, Wike maintained that experience remains an important factor in sustaining democratic institutions and managing political competition.
The minister’s remarks come amid heightened political activities and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties seeking to position themselves as strong contenders against the ruling APC.
A fresh twist has emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, as a faction of the party has rejected the camp backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and instead unveiled businessman and academic, Prof. Chris Uba, as its presidential candidate.
The development comes days after another wing of the party reportedly produced Atiku as its presidential flagbearer following a nationwide primary election, deepening the leadership and candidate dispute within the ADC.
SEE ALSO: Atiku Floors Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen to Clinch ADC 2027 Presidential Ticket
Speaking during the formal presentation of candidates in Abuja on Sunday, the faction’s National Chairman, Bala Gombe, said the presidential ticket was zoned to Southern Nigeria in line with the principles of equity, fairness, inclusiveness, and federal character.
According to Gombe, three aspirants initially purchased the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to contest for the presidential ticket.
They included Dr. Bashir Sani, Prince Williams Charles, and Prof. Chris Uba.
He explained that the party adopted the consensus option provided under the Electoral Act, leading to the emergence of Uba as the sole presidential candidate after the withdrawal of the other aspirants.
Gombe stated that the decision was taken in the interest of party unity and in compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, which recognize consensus as a lawful method of candidate selection.
He further announced the unveiling of 29 governorship candidates across the six geopolitical zones, saying they emerged through the party’s internal democratic processes.
Among those presented were Muhammad Usman Shuwa (Adamawa), Idris Adamu Yanoko (Kano), Shamsudin Muhammad (Kaduna), Ibrahim Al-Ameen Gumi (Zamfara), Babagana Mala (Borno), Musliu Babadele (Lagos), Rukayya Salami (Osun), Gbenga Gbenga (Oyo), Gada Suswan (Benue), Dijatu Abdul Salam (Nasarawa), and Christopher Benjo (Delta), among others.
The faction maintained that it had successfully concluded its governorship, National Assembly, and State House of Assembly primaries nationwide in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the party’s electoral guidelines.
The latest development signals growing internal divisions within the ADC as political parties intensify preparations, coalition talks, and strategic realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Founded in 2005, the ADC has continued to position itself as an alternative political platform while seeking to strengthen its structures and expand its influence across Nigeria.
Former Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The announcement was made by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in a statement released on Friday.
Kwankwaso also confirmed that former Kano deputy governor, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, would contest for the Kano Central Senatorial seat under the platform of the NDC.
SEE ALSO: Kano Gov Orders Appointees to Resign Before March 31 Ahead of Elections
According to him, the decision followed wide consultations within the party and was guided by the principles of equity, fairness, loyalty, and competence.
“I am delighted to announce that His Excellency, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has been selected as our Kano NDC gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming elections,” Kwankwaso said.
He added that the party remained committed to unity and progress as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 polls.
Kwankwaso also expressed optimism about the party’s chances in the elections while praying for a peaceful and successful affirmation process.
Gwarzo, a close ally of Kwankwaso, previously served as Deputy Governor under Governor Abba Yusuf before resigning following Yusuf’s defection to the All Progressives Congress.
Before his tenure as deputy governor, Gwarzo served as Commissioner for State Affairs during Kwankwaso’s administration and also held office as Chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, Gawuna served as Deputy Governor under former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and was the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election before recently aligning with the NDC.
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