Confusion in Kano over controversies on judgment sacking governor Yusuf

Kano state has been enveloped in confusion following the release of the certified copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal that affirmed the sacking of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf by the state governorship election petition tribunal.

In its judgment delivered on Friday, November 17, the Court of Appeal reaffirmed the sacking of the governor, who was a candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in the March 18 governorship election in the state, Daily Trust reported.

In the copy of the judgment in circulation on Tuesday, November 22, there are some contradictions in the judgment, and this has been generating reactions among stakeholders in the state.

The lead judge in the case, Justice Moore Aseimo Abraham Adumein, stated in one of the concluding paragraphs on page 68

“I will conclude by stating that the live issues in this appeal are hereby resolved in favour of the 1st respondent and against the appellant.”

In the suit, the governor is the appeal, while the All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the NNPP are the first, second and third respondents. The judge in another paragraph stated that

"In the circumstances, I resolve all the issues in favour of the appellant and against the 1st respondent."

Many NNPP stalwarts in the state have seen the development as favourable to them but a lawyer who spoke on the condition of anonymity maintained that the controversy could have been as a result of typographical error adding that what happened at the court was what earlier reported in the media that the governor has been sacked.

On the other side, a chieftain of the APC confirmed to newsmen that they would be getting the true copy of the certified copy of the judgment and that the court admitted that it was a clerical error.