Security has been beefed around the Supreme Court of Nigeria Complex in the three arms zones of Abuja, ahead of the judgement on the Kano, Plateau and other State governorship elections appeal.
The court is scheduled to begin sitting by 9am today in the cases of the governorship elections conducted on March 18, 2023.
Similarly, the apex court will deliver judgement in Lagos, Zamfara, Plateau, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Cross River governorship elections.
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The judgments in the Kano and Plateau appeals are the most anticipated, because the lower courts had sacked the incumbent Governors – Abba Yusuf and Caleb Mutfwang respectively.
Reports said that the court complex around 7.15a.m on Friday morning has presence of heavy security operatives.
This is to check possible breakdown of law and order while the proceedings last.
It was also observed that 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 in the matter were permitted, still, hundreds of supporters of the parties could be seen trying to gain access to the premises.
Journalists were also having difficulty finding their way into the court premises.
Kano State governor, Yusuf, and his party NNPP, had filed an appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed his sacking as earlier pronounced by the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The Tribunal had sacked him and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw his certificate of return and instead issue the same to Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Not satisfied with the Tribunal judgement, Yusuf had approached the Appeal Court.
Still, the appellate court had, while affirming his sack, further held that Yusuf was not a member of the party as of the time of the election and could not have been said to have been properly sponsored for the election.
