In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has affirmed Yusuf Abba Kabir of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the duly elected governor of Kano state. The ruling, delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, came in response to an appeal lodged by Governor Yusuf Kabir, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal Abuja, which had, on November 17, removed him from office.
The Court of Appeal had earlier disqualified Governor Yusuf Kabir from the Kano state governorship election and declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Kano State.
However, Justice Inyang Okoro, in a lead judgement, emphasized that the tribunal did not establish any disqualification of Yusuf Kabir to contest the election. He pointed out that matters pertaining to the sponsorship and nomination of a candidate fall within the internal affairs of a political party, asserting that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to address issues concerning the internal affairs of a political party.
The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court reinstates Yusuf Abba Kabir as the legitimate governor of Kano state and settles the legal dispute stemming from the Court of Appeal’s previous ruling. This ruling reaffirms the court’s stance on the limited jurisdiction regarding internal party matters, placing emphasis on the autonomy of political parties in such affairs.
