Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has hired renowned legal luminary, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) to lead the charge to regain his mandate at the Court of Appeal.
Yusuf filed a 42-ground of appeal before the appellate court asking the court to set aside the judgment of the tribunal and also striking out the petition of the APC.
In a copy of the notice of appeal, Olanipekun, who led the legal team of President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), is now the counsel for the Kano state governor.
Also on the legal team of the governor is: Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Ibrahim G. Waru and Akintola Makinde, with Wole Olanipekun & Co as the legal firm handling the appeal, while Chief E.O.B. Offiong (APC) remains the counsel for the APC.
Eailer, Suleiman Alkali, Head of Legal department, INEC office, Kano, had written the Secretary of Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, saying that INEC will not join Governor Yusuf to appeal the Tribunal judgement.
But in a twist of events, Alkali who did not deny writing the letter, said INEC has decided to continue with the case at the appellate court.
He said the withdrawal letter forwarded to the Tribunal has been recalled, insisting that INEC legal team is prepared to continue with the case at the appellate court.
Alkali who said he was misled into writing the letter at the first instance, said the letter was recalled 40 minutes after it was forwarded to the Tribunal Secretariat, but expressed surprise how the letter leaked to the Media.
Journalists in Kano were shown a copy of the Notice of Appeal filed on behalf of INEC by law office of Dikko & Mahmood on October 3, indicating that the Commission has officially appealed the judgement.
