Appeal Court reserves judgment on Yusuf’s suit

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf challenging his removal by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Recall that a three-man panel of judges led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay had sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023.

The tribunal declared 165,663 of Yusuf’s votes invalid because they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

However, at the appeal court on Monday, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the lead counsel for Yusuf, asked that the judgement of the tribunal be set aside.

The senior lawyer said this is the first time in history that a tribunal will annul an election over non-signing of the back of ballot papers.

He argued that the tribunal erred, insisting also that it was the first time that a political party would file a matter without joining its candidate as a party in the petition and the candidate would be declared winner of the polls.

However, Counsel to APC, Akin Olujimi, SAN, countered, saying the Appeal Courts stated emphatically that the non-signing of ballots amounted to electoral malpractice.

The appeal court panel subsequently reserved judgment informing that a date would be communicated to the parties.