Appeal Court Reinstate Datti, Sacks Kwankwaso

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday sacked Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and reinstated Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency Election.

Naija News reports that the three-panel led by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye allowed an Appeal by Yusuf Datti and averred that the tribunal was wrong to have counted the date of the Appellant’s resignation on the date of his party’s primary election and that Section 77 of the Electoral Act was misapplied.

The appellate court stated that no court has jurisdiction on the issue of membership of the party.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the NNPP candidate as the winner of the February 25 poll.

Dissatisfied, Kwankwaso filed a petition seeking the nullification of Datti’s victory.

In September, the tribunal sacked the NNPP candidate and declared Kwankwaso the winner of the poll on the ground that the NNPP candidate did not resign as a member of staff of the Bayero University Kano (BUK) before contesting his party’s primary election.

Datti appealed the verdict of the tribunal.