The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has handed down a verdict, sacking Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the March 18th election, according to a report by Daily Trust.
Yusuf, who had contested the election under the banner of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), had initially been declared the victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This decision was met with congratulations from his APC rival, Nasir Gawuna. However, the APC chose to challenge the results in court.
In a landmark decision today, the three-member tribunal ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return that INEC had presented to Governor Yusuf and directed the issuance of a certificate of return to Gawuna.
The tribunal's decision hinged on the deduction of 165,663 votes from Governor Yusuf's total, ruling them as invalid votes. These votes were declared invalid due to the absence of proper stamping or signing on the ballot papers.
The tribunal's verdict favored the APC on all three grounds presented in their petition. These grounds included Governor Yusuf's membership in the NNPP, alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and the substantial number of invalid ballot papers used in the election.
The NNPP has strongly objected to this decision and has expressed its intention to challenge it at the Appeal Court.
Notably, the tribunal delivered this verdict remotely, with the judges absent from the courtroom, utilizing Zoom to convey their decision. This surprising turn of events adds a unique dimension to this election dispute.
