Kano Tribunal: APC demands inspection of INEC materials on governorship poll

According to Guardian , the Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently submitted an application to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, requesting to inspect the electoral materials used in the March 18 elections in the state. The APC aims to overturn the victory of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who has already been declared the winner and taken office.

Although the APC did not officially join as a co-petitioner, their governorship candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who lost to the NNPP candidate, claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should have declared the gubernatorial election inconclusive. The APC argues that INEC violated the provisions of the Electoral Act by declaring a winner, considering the number of cancelled votes compared to the margin of victory between their candidate and the NNPP candidate.

In addition to these circumstances, the petitioner also requested that the tribunal invalidate the Certificate of Return issued to Governor Yusuf, alleging that he was not qualified to run on the NNPP platform because he was not a legitimate member of the party at the time of his nomination.

During the pre-hearing trial at the tribunal, the petitioner’s counsel, Nureini Jimoh (SAN), urged the court to grant access to the Biomodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), ballot papers, voter registration records, and other electoral materials used by INEC in the gubernatorial poll.

In response to the application, INEC’s counsel (1st respondent), K.C. Wisdom, acknowledged receiving the process but requested time to study the application before providing a response. Governor Yusuf’s counsel (2nd respondent), Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), and NNPP’s counsel (3rd respondent), E.A. Oshayomi (SAN), did not object to the petitioner’s application.

The tribunal has scheduled June 19 as the start date for the substantive hearing of the governorship election petition trial. The court has also instructed all parties to conclude the exchange of processes for interlocutory applications before the hearing commences.

The panel has adopted a procedure to guide the trial, including allocating days for the petitioner and respondents to present their cases, specifying time limits for witnesses, and making provisions for interpreters. After consultation, the panel granted 26 days to all parties, including the petitioner, to present their case, with 15 minutes allocated for examination and cross-examination of witnesses.

The tribunal has adjourned until June 15 to continue the pre-hearing regarding the admissibility of documents from all parties and the adoption of schedules for the proceedings.

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