Finally, Supreme Court says judgment day on Kano Governorship election appeal is Friday, Jan 12

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has said that it will deliver its judgment on the Kano State governorship election petition appeal on Friday, January 12, 2024.

It was gathered that the apex court disclosed this in a notice of hearing sent to concerned parties on Wednesday January10, barely five days after The DEFENDER’s report titled, “KANO: The long wait for Supreme Court judgment over governorship election brohaha”, which said the delayed judgment of the court the cause of rumours that were already plying around about alleged plans by President Bola Tinubu to reach a compromise with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in order to be allowed to continue in office.

In the notice, the five men panel justices of the Supreme Court said verdict on the anticipated appeal will be held Friday.

The Court of Appeal had affirmed the verdict of the Kano governorship election petition tribunal that sacked Governor Abba Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and declared Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as lawfully elected.

The appellate court did not only upheld the tribunal’s verdict but also added that Governor Yusuf was not a member of the NNPP when he contested the election. The three men panel led by Justice O. Osadebay had sacked Governor Yusuf on the basis of illegal votes of 165,663, which were not signed, steamed and dated.

Displeased with the concurrent verdicts, Governor Yusuf, NNPP and INEC approached the Supreme court, seeking to dismiss the earlier judgments and reaffirm Yusuf as the duly elected governor.

Subsequently, APC equally filed a cross-appeal challenging the judgment of the Abuja Court of Appeal for failing to disqualify Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, from contesting the March 18 election over an alleged certificate forgery.

Meanwhile, NNPP has said APC’s attempt to blackmail the Supreme Court ahead of Friday’s ruling will fail. In a statement yesterday by Abba Kawu Ali, NNPP Ag. National Chairman, the party said APC supporters were already distributing souvenirs in anticipation of victory at the apex court.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the unwholesome activities of APC in Kano State ahead of the Supreme Court judgement in the Appeal filed by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the elected Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf. According to reports from Kano State, leaders of the APC in the State have been distributing souvenirs like clothes, T- shirts etc which according to them is in anticipation of their “victory” at the apex Court.

“It is the standard norm all over the world that when a matter is before the judiciary, no party in the suit should do anything to influence the outcome by whatever means. Without doubt, this action by the APC tantamount to harassment and blackmail of the judiciary. And this act should be roundly condemned by all lovers of democracy and the rule of law.

“It is the view of the NNPP that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leader of the APC in Nigeria should call his party leaders in Kano to order. As a matter of fact, the desperation of the APC leaders in Kano State has reached the crescendo and if not checked could plunge the State, the Northern Nigeria and the entire country into a crisis of monumental proportion.

“It is very visible, even to the blind, that the APC was roundly defeated by the NNPP in Kano State in the last General elections and that THE APC was only trying get what it failed to get in the ballot boxes through the back door. The facts are there for all to see. It is on record that NNPP trounced the APC in all the five elections conducted in Kano State in the 2023 General elections. So why are they so particular about the Governorship seat?

“We are using this medium to reiterate our unflinching confidence in the ability of the Supreme Court to dispense justice. All the issues before the Supreme Court are MATTERS that have at various times been decided in favour of the NNPP position. So, why is the APC heating up the polity. From our findings, the Justices in the Supreme Court are men and women of courage and impeccable character that have the fear of God in their hearts and are focused on dispensing justice and uphold the principles of the rule of law. Perhaps it has become pertinent to remind the APC in Kano that if the former party in Government had behaved the way APC in Kano is behaving, democracy would have long been dead and buried in Nigeria.

“We are assuring the vast majority of Kano people who are in love with the man with the popular votes, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Executive Governor of Kano State, that nothing will happen to the mandate they freely gave to him on March 18, 2023. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf will continue to discharge the duties and responsibilities of his office to the best of his abilities to the good people of Kano State.”