Heavy security as Supreme Court delivers verdicts in Kano, 7 other governorship appeals

Security has been beefed around the Supreme Court of Nigeria Complex as the apex court is expected to deliver final verdicts on the disputes over the outcomes of the governorship elections in Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Lagos, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Abia and Cross River States.

Though the Supreme Court is expected to begin sitting by 9 a.m., it was observed that there has been heavy security deployment around the apex court as of 7.15a.m on Friday to ensure hitch-free proceedings.

Security operatives from regular and plain-clothed police units have been deployed to the Court’s main entrance to block unauthorised movements of people and vehicles into the complex premises.

Though lawyers and parties involved in the matter were granted easy entry into the apex court premises, hundreds of supporters of the parties could be seen trying to gain access to the premises.

Journalists were also having difficulty finding their way into the court premises.

Judgments in the Kano, Zamfara and Plateau appeals are the most anticipated because the lower courts had sacked the incumbent governors.

Kano state governor, Abba Yusuf, and his party New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP, had filed an appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed his sacking as earlier pronounced by the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

The tribunal had sacked Yusuf and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw his certificate of return and instead issue the same to Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

However, not satisfied with the Tribunal’s judgment, Yusuf approached the Appeal Court. But the appellate court had while affirming his sack, further held that the governor was not a member of the party as of the time of the election and could not have been said to have been properly sponsored for the election.

For Plateau, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang’s election was upheld by the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos but the appeal court overturned his victory and declared Nentawe Goshwe of the APC the winner of the election.

The court ruled that the failure of the PDP to comply with the order of the Plateau State High Court in Jos directing it to conduct valid ward, local governments, and state congresses before nominating its candidates for the various elective posts was a breach of the law.

The Appeal Court had also nullified the election of Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal in a suit filed by Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Though the Zamfara Election Petitions Tribunal held that the petition of the APC candidate was devoid of merit, a three-member panel of the Appeal Court led by Justice Oyebisi Folayemi, nullified the return of Governor Lawal as the winner of the governorship poll.

Justice Sybil Nwaka ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in three local government areas of the state, where elections had not been held previously or where results from various polling units were not counted.