The Nigerian court invalidated the opposition’s victory in the governorship elections in Kano State, on September 20, 2023, which the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) had won against President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC). As a result, the authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in this critical state.
In Nigeria, a curfew was instituted on September 20, 2023, in Kano, the country’s second most populous region, following the annulment of the victory of an opposition candidate in the gubernatorial elections held in March.
A tribunal invalidated the victory of Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in favor of Nasuru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party.
Gawuna, a close associate of the country’s President Bola Tinubu, had contested the election results. Security forces were heavily deployed on major roadways to prevent any unrest.
In March, voters overwhelmingly supported his rival, Abba Kabir Yusuf, giving him more than one million votes in a state that had been governed by Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC since 2015.
Gawuna had alleged suspicions of fraud during that election, and he has now succeeded in having the results overturned.
This marks a new victory for the APC, especially as the outgoing governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was caught in an alleged corruption scandal. In 2017, a video circulated showing him allegedly stuffing bundles of cash into his pockets. He has consistently maintained his innocence.