Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, expressed strong disapproval over the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Court of Appeal’s verdict affirming Abba Yusuf as Kano State governor.
The chairman of the three-man panel, Moore Adumein, upheld the tribunal’s decision that declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 18 governorship election. However, the released CTC revealed contradictory declarations, raising concerns about the integrity of the judiciary.
In a surprising turn, the appellate court, as indicated in the CTC signed by the three justices, awarded N1,000,000 cost in favor of the NNPP and against the APC, contrary to its initial pronouncement. The judgement contained conflicting statements, stating resolutions in favor of both the APC and the NNPP, leading to the dismissal of the appeal. Additionally, the court set aside the tribunal’s judgement that sacked the governor in the final line.
Femi Falana criticized the development, labeling it as scandalous and detrimental to the integrity of the judiciary. He particularly questioned the court’s decision to penalize millions of voters for mistakes made by INEC officials. Falana highlighted the numerous contradictions in the judgement, emphasizing the court’s inability to provide a coherent explanation for its decisions.
