The apex court will deliver judgment in Lagos, Kano, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Plateau, Abia, Cross River, and Bauchi states. governorship elections today.
The court begins sitting by 9:00 a.m.
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Judgments in the Kano and Plateau appeals are the most anticipated because the lower courts have sacked the incumbent governors.
Around 7:15 a.m. on Friday, heavy security had already been built around the area, possibly to ensure hitch-free proceedings.
Security operatives from regular and plain-clothed police units have been deployed to the court’s main entrance to block unauthorised movements of humans and vehicles into the complex premises.
Though only lawyers and parties involved were permitted, hundreds of parties’ supporters could be seen trying to gain access to the premises.
Journalists, at the time of filing this report, had difficulty finding their way into the court premises.
Kano Governor Abba Yusuf and his party, NNPP, had filed an appeal against the appellate court’s judgement, which affirmed his sacking earlier pronounced by the Kano governorship election petitions tribunal.
The tribunal sacked Mr. Yusuf and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw his certificate of return and declare Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the All Progressives Congress candidate, as the winner.
Mr. Yusuf appealed the judgment.
But the appellate court, while affirming his sack, held that the governor was not a member of the NNPP as of the time of the election and could not have been said to have been properly sponsored for the election.
For Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, his election was affirmed by the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, but the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in its judgement delivered on November 19, 2023, overturned his victory, prompting him to file an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the lower court’s decision.