Nigeria's Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that the nullified the election of Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor of the northern Kano state.
The governor was removed from office in September following a unanimous decision by a tribunal that ruled he was not a valid candidate in the state governor election held on March 18.
It ruled that Yusuf was not a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the time the election was held and was therefore not a valid candidate of the party,
That decision was upheld on Friday by the Court of Appeal after Yusuf appealed against the tribunal's ruling.
Failed appeal
“A person must be a member of a political party before he can be sponsored for an election. Sponsorship without membership is like putting something on nothing," Justice M. U. Adumeh read the verdict on Friday.
Yusuf has since indicated that he will appeal against the Court of Appeal's verdict.
Governors wield wide influence in Nigeria, presiding over budgets bigger than some small African countries, and their support often influences who becomes president.
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