Headlines
Contrary to misconception, Appeal Court upheld Kano Governor’s Election – Falana
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has said that contrary to the general impression that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, the majority judgement of the Court upheld his appeal and granted all the reliefs sought by the governor.
KANO FOCUS reports that Falana revealed this on Tuesday night while featuring on Arise News Primetime,
Falana said he was surprised when he read a copy of the judgement, to see that the majority judgement set aside the judgement of the lower tribunal and awarded cost in favour of the governor.
‘’You will be surprised if I show you the judgement. To my utter dismay the majority judgement of the Court of Appeal in Kano upheld the Appeal, set aside the judgement of the lower court and awarded cost in favour of the governor that was removed by the lower Tribunal. There are contradictions which the court can no longer explain, but which is likely to be taken up by the Supreme Court.
‘’Contrary to the impression that has been given out there, the majority judgement of the Court of Appeal has confirmed that the judgement of the lower court was wrong, and has set it aside in writing, upheld the Appeal and granted all the reliefs sought by Governor Abba. So, you ask yourself, what’s going on?’’
According to Falana, no serious democracy allows the court to determine the winner of elections, adding that Nigeria must put an end to it.
He also advocated for a mechanism to be put in place to deal with electoral offenders no matter how highly placed.
‘’We must go back to Justice Uwais Electoral Committee recommendations, which were adopted by the 2014 National Conference, adopted by Lemu Committee, adopted by the Ken Nnamani Electoral Reform Committee, so that we can begin to hold elections that will reflect the will of the people.
‘’We must not applaud the court when we are favoured, we must have a common standard whereby the wishes of the people must be respected. You cannot say you want to punish somebody for the errors of INEC electoral officials as it was the case in Kano. That is almost scandalous.
He said Nigeria is the only country in the world that records the highest number of election petitions, warning that unless ‘we put in place an electoral system that will punish those that violate the law with impunity, the wishes of the electorates will be trampled upon.
On why INEC get away with wrong doings, Falana said: ‘’The law requires judges to punish on the basis of evidence led before them those who can be said to have manipulated the electoral system or who subverted the electoral system and make a mockery of the wishes of the people.
‘’In those days, judges recommended sanctions for electoral offenders. These days we are only busy with who won the election and who did not win the election, while those that caused the problem go scot-free’’.
According to the fiery lawyer, the Attorneys General appointed by some of the riggers of the elections quietly withdrew cases by filling nolle prosequi applications in court against those arrested for electoral offences.
He said: ‘’That was why the Uwais Committee recommended that we should have an Independent Electoral Offences Commission to deal with those who breach the provisions of electoral law. But it has been rejected over the years; instead, they are saying INEC shall prosecute electoral offenders.”
‘’But we must unbundle IENC to enable it to concentrate on conducting elections by having an electoral offences commission. Also, political Party Regulation.”
Mu
Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has recorded a landmark academic achievement following the release of the results from the 2024 accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
In what has been described as a resounding endorsement of the University’s academic standards and quality assurance framework, all 53 academic programmes presented for evaluation were granted full accreditation or accredited status.
The accreditation, conducted between October and November 2024, covered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across key faculties including Administration, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Computing, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Social Sciences.
According to a statement signed by the University Registrar, Haruna Aliyu, the development affirms BUK’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, curriculum innovation, and sustained infrastructural and faculty development.
“This milestone is a testimony to the quality of education and institutional governance at BUK. It validates our position as one of Nigeria’s premier universities,” the statement said.
Key Highlights:
• Administration Faculty recorded full accreditation across 13 programmes including the Master of Accounting and Financial Management, MBA, and Islamic Banking & Finance.
• Agriculture, Medicine, Pharmacy, and all Engineering programmes received full accreditation, reinforcing the University’s strength in science-based disciplines.
• The Education Faculty had a sweeping success with 14 programmes earning full accreditation.
• Courses in Arts, Social Sciences, Computing, and Science were all rated “Full” by the NUC.
This success is more than academic—it means that all current and prospective students of these programmes can be assured that their education meets the highest national standards. It also ensures the continued recognition of their certificates for employment, postgraduate studies, and participation in national youth service.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Higher Education Landscape
The Registrar expressed appreciation to the National Universities Commission for its rigorous evaluation process and acknowledged the dedication of BUK’s Deans, Heads of Departments, academic staff, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to meet and surpass the benchmarks.
“This achievement is not an end but a motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge, research, and community engagement. We remain committed to nurturing leaders and innovators who will contribute meaningfully to Nigeria and the world,” he added.
As BUK celebrates this landmark, the University is inviting stakeholders, prospective students, parents, and the global academic community to partner in its journey of growth and excellence.
Headlines
Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expended over 3 billion naira for 141,175 (one hundred and forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventy-five) Kano students who passed the 2024 qualifying examinations to sit for this year’s NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS (2025).
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Ibrahim Adam, it was noted that the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, announced to newsmen in Kano that the State Ministry of Education had released the results of the qualifying examinations for secondary school students in Kano.
These students are studying under the Kano State Teachers Service Board and the Science and Technical Schools Board, where 75 percent of them qualified to write the senior school certificate examinations of NABTEB, NECO, and NBAIS (for Arabic students).
Ali Haruna Makoda stated that the students eligible for payment by the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf are those who scored five credits and above.
The Commissioner maintained that all secondary school principals and directors should notify their students of their results so that the state government can effect the payment.
The 2025 qualifying exams for NECO, and NABTEB will enable the students to sit for their 2025 examinations required for admission into tertiary education.
Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser to Governor Yusuf on Information, said that since the inception of the administration in May 2023, it has settled registration fees for Kano indigent students for NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.
The Special Adviser pointed out that apart from settling the fees, Governor Yusuf’s administration has also paid huge outstanding debts for NECO, and NABTEB left behind by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration.
He also said it is part of Governor Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency on education and an effort to mitigate the high number of out-of-school children that have bedeviled the state.
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, Kano has commenced a week-long competition across selected secondary schools as part of its commitment to the holistic development of adolescent girls.
KANO FOCUS reports that the AGILE Week 2025 features volleyball, basketball, spelling bee, painting, poetry, essay writing, short story and content creation competitions.
GGC Dala VS GGC Kano
On Basketball Girls category, Government Girls College Dala won 1st position, Government Girls College Kano 2nd while Army Day Secondary School emerged 3rd, while on male category Ahmadiyya College won 1st position with Army Day Secondary School as runners up.
On volleyball Girls category Army Day Secondary School won 1st position, Government Girls College Dala emerged 2nd while Government Girls College Kano secured 3rd position, while on male category Government Girls Secondary School Minjibir won 1st position with Ahmadiyya College as runners up.
Basketball competition
Speaking during the ongoing AGILE Games 2025 Week activities at the Government Girls College (GGC) Gala, State Project Coordinator, Malam Mujtaba Aminu, explained the purpose of the event and its significance.
“We are here for the AGILE Week. It is a key programme under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project. This initiative is designed to showcase talent and intellectual skills among adolescent girls,” he said.
Basketball Competition
Aminu noted that sporting activities were chosen to help build confidence, encourage healthy competition, and foster teamwork among girls.
“Yesterday, we held a basketball competition where the winners emerged, and today we are continuing with volleyball. The top players from these games will be selected to represent the state in a friendly match against Kebbi State next week.”
Malam Mujtaba Aminu and Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
According to him, the event is not just a one-off occurrence. “It’s an annual event designed for this purpose. Initially, it was rolled out in seven states, but now the programme has expanded to include 18 to 21 states. So, next year’s games and competitions will be even bigger.”
The AGILE Project, supported by the World Bank, aims to improve secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria by enhancing infrastructure, providing scholarships, and supporting life-skills programmes—of which AGILE Week is a vital component.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim ANIPR,
Communication Officer,
AGILE Kano.
BUK Achieves 100% Success in 2024 NUC Accreditation: 53 Programmes Fully Approved
Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS
AGILE Kano commences inter school competition among adolescent girls, boys
Abdussamad Rabi’u pays tribute to his father Khalifa Isyaku Rabi’u
2025 Hajj:Kano Pilgrims Board Deploys 300-Man Team, Unveils Seven Key Committees
AGILE partners ICEADA in promoting girls education in 6 Kano LGAs
Kano signs N12. 7bn for construction of Tofa-Karaye road
ACF inaugurates security committee in Kano
Salary fraud: Kano uncovers N28m in local government payroll
