The Supreme Court on Friday faulted the ruling of the Appeal Court on the Kano State Governorship election.
The judgement was delivered by Justice John Inyang Okoro who restored all the ballot papers to Governor Abba Yusuf.
OsunDailyNG earlier broke the news of the Supreme Court affirming Abba Yusuf as the elected governor of Kano State.
Abba Kabirโs victory in the 2023 Governorship Election was challenged by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in Kano, Alh Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Overturning the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Justice Okoro said, โThere is no proof that the said ballot papers were not the ones used at the election.
โThus the decision of the Court of Appeal affirming the decision of the tribunal ought to be set aside.
โWhat is the effect of a ballot paper not having the marks by the Electoral commission?
โA ballot paper that does not bear INEC mark is not invalid by all purposes.โ
Justice Okoro held that the law requires that it must be proven that a ballot paper was not the ones deployed for the conduct of the election.
โFinally, the lower court wrongly misconstrued its evaluation of the ballot papers. This amounts to perversion. Accordingly, all the ballot papers are restored to Governor Yusuf.โ