Guber Election: Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Kano Case

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has postponed delivering its verdict in the appeal concerning the Kano State governorship election.

A five-judge panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro heard arguments from all parties involved before deciding to reserve judgment on Thursday.

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State and his party, the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP), are challenging the Court of Appeal's November 17 ruling that nullified their victory in the March 19 election.

Also, they've brought attention to inconsistencies in the certified true copy (CTC) of the appeal court judgment, which seemingly both upheld Yusuf's win and awarded him damages.

Previously, a three-judge panel headed by Justice Moore A. Adumein sided with Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the appeal.

Their reasoning? Yusuf's NNPP membership registration was deemed invalid, disqualifying him from running.

However, Thursday's Supreme Court arguments raised questions about the court's authority to decide on candidates' party membership issues in political disputes.

Lawyers further debated whether the court could hold the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accountable for neglecting to sign over 160,000 ballot papers related to Kano State voters.

With the court reserving judgment, the wait for a final decision in the Kano governorship election saga continues.

The legal arguments presented have highlighted complex questions about party membership qualifications and electoral oversight, leaving observers curious about the Supreme Court's eventual ruling.