Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has expressed concern that the judiciary is undermining Nigeria’s democracy. She made this statement in response to the Appeal Court’s decision to oust Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State. The three-man panel of judges, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay, nullified Yusuf’s election, declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid due to the absence of signatures or stamps from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Following the appellate court’s ruling, Yusuf’s vote count, as a candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was reduced to 853,939, while Nasir Ganuwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained his tally at 890,705. Subsequently, the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Court nullified Yusuf’s election and declared Gawuna, the APC governorship candidate, as the legitimate winner of the March 18 election.
In response to these developments, Yesufu expressed her dismay, stating on X: “The judiciary is evidently on a course that could lead to the complete destruction of democracy in Nigeria. In 2019, the people of Kano rejected the APC, yet manipulation occurred, and now we witness a similar scenario. When you disregard the genuine will of the people, you create space for the exercise of illegitimate influence.”