The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has expressed strong disapproval of the tribunal judgment delivered by the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The party likened this judgment to a repetition of the alleged events in the 2019 governorship election, where it claims the tribunal overturned the people’s mandate and awarded it to the candidate who lost.
In response to this judgment, the NNPP has called on its millions of supporters in Kano State and across the nation to remain calm and maintain peace. The party asserts that what it perceives as a biased judgment cannot stand on the grounds of natural justice.
The Kano Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had, on Wednesday, nullified the election of Governor Abba Yusuf and declared Nasiru Gawuna, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Governor Yusuf of the NNPP as the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election, having garnered 1,019,602 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nasiru Gawuna of the APC, who secured 890,705 votes.
In a statement signed by the NNPP’s acting National Chairman, Abba Ali, the party expressed shock and disbelief over the tribunal’s judgment. The party accused the tribunal of replicating what it considers an unjust act from 2019 by overturning the people’s will and awarding election results to those who it claims lost the election.
The NNPP alleged that the tribunal arrived at this judgment by deducting 165,663 votes unfairly from Governor Yusuf’s tally and awarding them to the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Gawuna. The party decried the tribunal’s decision, calling it laughable and a miscarriage of justice, while also expressing concern that it might further erode public confidence in the judiciary. The NNPP has vowed to appeal this judgment.
This dispute highlights the ongoing challenges associated with electoral processes and outcomes in Nigeria, where allegations of bias and irregularities can lead to protracted legal battles and disputes over election results.
