ABUJA: Nigeria’s top court on Friday threw out a series of attempts to overturn the results of last year’s governorship vote, dealing a blow to the president’s party in several states.
Governors are powerful figures in Nigeria where elections are fiercely contested, and the results often face legal challenges right up to the Supreme Court.
The country’s top court ruled in favour of governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in three states, other opposition parties in two, and the All-Progressives Congress, the ruling party nationally, in three, AFP reported.
In the key northern state of Kano, New Nigeria People’s Party governor Abba Kabir Yusuf was reinstated after the top court overruled a lower court judgement that had sided with the APC and led to his removal from office.
Celebrations in Nigeria’s streets
There had been fears of clashes, but instead there were celebrations in the streets as the top court backed Yusuf, with jubilant citizens performing tricks on motorbikes.
The Supreme Court ruling represents its final major judgement on last year’s polls.
In October the court validated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election win and dismissed the opposition’s appeal against his mandate.
Most Nigerian polls have ended up in legal battles since Africa’s most populous country emerged from military rule in 1999, but the top court has never overturned a presidential election.
