Abba Yusuf vs Gawuna: APC chieftain predicts possible winner at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is set to rule on appeals filed by Governors Abba Yusuf of Kano state and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau state, challenging the decisions of the election tribunals and appeal court judgement that nullified their victories.

Mr. Williams Dakwom, a member of the APC presidential campaign council (PCC) in Plateau state, said the Supreme Court will not set aside the appeal court and the election tribunal's judgment that voided the election of Mutfwang and Yusuf.

The party chieftain emphasizes on the importance of upholding constitutional principles and expresses faith in the legal system's ability to address pre and post-election issues.

In an exclusive chat with Legit.ng on Saturday, December 2, 2023, Mr. Dakwom noted that the APC faced a similar situation in 2019 in Zamfara state, where they lost positions to the PDP due to irregularities in party congresses. Dakwom therefore highlights the party's acceptance of defeat and adherence to democratic norms.

He, however, noted that the anticipated Supreme Court judgments are expected to consider whether the Court of Appeal adhered to relevant laws in its verdicts on Kano and Plateau governorship dispute, and if the pre and post-election issues align.

Mr. Dakwom, stated thus:

"I always say we need to have confidence in our judiciary. "Because our judiciary are trying not by our own way of thinking, because there are constitutional issues. Tribunal has done its assignment and there are things the tribunal cannot explain which are constitutional issues.

"In the court of appeal judgment, there is no contradicting judgment among the three lawyers or the six lawyers that gave the verdict. The case is similar to the that of Musa Yar Adua versus Muhammadu Buhari in 2007. If you look at it closely, the judgment that comes out of the Supreme Court is four against two. If you look at it, it is the same thing that is going to happen.

"The Supreme Court will have too look into the appeal court's judgment delivered in the various state. Did the court of appeal follow the laws or not? And if they discover there is a law guiding this, and these people did not comply by the law, then they should therefore accept the outcome.

"Let our people have confidence in the judiciary. It happened to us the APC in 2019 in Zamfara state, all positions we lost it to the PDP, we did not cause chaos. We accepted our fate and moved on. The people knew there were no congresses, they didn't elect their leaders from ward to local governments and even that of a state.

"So I believe that the same thing will reflect in if the Supreme Court follow up on the pre election and post election issues, and if the issues did not match, I belive that the Supreme Court would scrap that cases out and then the governorshp would be taken out of their hands and would be given back to the APC in Plateau and Kano states respectfully."