*Says day of reckoning comes soon
*As Rufai Oseni recalls last month protest over allegation of state tribunal bribery
By KEMI KASUMU
Ahmadu Bello University’s professor of law, Yusuf Dankofa, has enlightened political gladiators who jumped up in jubilation over Wednesday’s judgment of the Kano State Election Petition Tribinal, sacking Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and declaring Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the new governor, to tarry a while.
Professor Yusuf Dankofa.
The Tribunal yesterday ruled that Gawuna, after ending up scoring the highest votes by calculation of the court, won the March 18, 2023 election thus ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return handed to Abba Yusuf and hand it to Yusuf Gawuna.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Governor Abba Yusuf, who has since rejected the outcome, has disclosed his decision and that of his party to go to the Court of Appeal.
The tribunal’s decision yesterday brought about two dimensional reactions, one, of APC group jubilating and, two, of Kano State people and supporters of both NNPP and the governor, leading to tension in the Nigeria’s secind economic nerve centre followed by timely imposition of 24-hour curfew by the state government.
By Professor Yusuf Dankofa, in a post on his Facebook page, wrote saying, “You can’t celebrate untill the Supreme Court gives its decision. The case of Adeleke v Oyetola is a locus here.”
The expert in law said, “The tribunal sitting as court of first instance nullified Adeleke’s victory as Governor of Osun State and both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in their own wisdom overruled the tribunal.
“That is the beauty of court hierarchy under our justice system.It is therfore too early to dance.
“The tribunal nullified some votes credited to Abba Yusuf on the basis that some ballot papers were not signed and stamped
“That sure is going to make an interesting ground of appeal.But then law is not about whims and caprices,neither is it by emotion.
“It has its own logic predicated on substantive laws.
“My advise to the gladiators is to allow their lawyers do the job.It”s still a long walk to freedom and the pendulum can still shift.
“There is no point dancing and behaving as if you are there already when there are two more judicial steps to climb.
“It is only when the Supreme Court upholds this judgment that real dancing and celebrations can occur.
“In the meantime,what is expected of the gladiators is what is called philosophical calmness.
“The day of reckoning will soon come,” Professor Dankofa said.
In the meantime, other Nigerians are wondering how the same Nigerian judiciary, dismissed all petitions of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) against ruling APC in Abuja over some of the things its presidential election petitions tribunal judges called pre-election matters, has gone round to use the same pre-election matters as one of the yardstick for sacking NNP candidate in Governor Abba Yusuf.
Fiery broadcasting journalist Rufai Oseni on Arise News This Morning Show on Thursday recalled that a month ago, people of Kano State staged a protest when they heard allegation of tribunal in the state being bribed to compromise judgment and now the judgment has come the way it has.
The journalist, however, expressed satisfaction with Governor Yusuf’s quick intervention of imposition of curfew after the tribunal judgment triggered tension yesterday saying there must be no protest.
Rufai was satisfied that the governor has chosen the more honourable and democratic path of pursuing justice through constitutional means.
