Kano imposes 24-hr curfew as tribunal sacks NNPP Gov Kabir Yusuf, declares APC’s Gawuna winner

 

From: SELYA YARNAP Bauchi

 

A 24-hour curfew has been declared in Kano State following the judgment of the election petitions tribunal which sacked the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, in a statement he personally signed, explained that a combined team of security operatives have been dispatched across the ancient city to enforce the curfew.

It read: “In view of the Constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force alongside the relevant Internal Security and Law Enforcement Agencies to preserve law and order in the State, the Kano State Police Command have mapped out strategies on that direction and call on the good people of the State to give the necessary confidence and supports.

“Going forward, Kano State residents are called upon to note that combined Security Forces have already been dispatched to the nooks and crannies including the entry and exits of the State to ensure enforcement and strict compliance of the Twenty-Four Hours (24hrs) Curfew order as communicated by the State Government via letter with Reference No: K/SEC/H/435/T.1/153 dated 20th September, 2023 taking effect from 6pm of Wednesday, 20th September to 6pm of Thursday, 21st September 2023.

“Violators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“Finally, I wish to appreciate all the peace-loving people of the State and urge them to remain law abiding as it’s in the best interest of all that we come together to maintain law and order in the State,” he added.

Tension has gripped the state following the judgment that declared Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the APC as the winner of the elections.

.Gov heads to Appeal Court, rejects judgement

Kano State Governor, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Wednesday night, rejected the ruling of Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal which nullified his election.

Yusuf, who addressed journalists at Africa House, Government House, Kano, through a state broadcast, said already, he has directed his legal team to appeal the judgement.

Recalling how he won the election with a wide margin, Yusuf faulted the judgement of the tribunal, describing it as human error which must be corrected through further legal means.

He said the judgement will not in any way dampen his spirit in ensuring dispensation of democratic dividends to the people of the state.

Yusuf, however, called on his supporters and members of the New Nigeria People’s Party ( NNPP) to remain law abiding, and go about their normal businesses, while the case goes on at the appellate court.

Also a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, who was in court to witness the proceeding, has rejected the judgement of the tribunal.

 

The Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 18 election.

Yusuf, who contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the poll in March this year.

But on Wednesday, the three-man panel, after hearing the petitions, ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return which INEC presented to Yusuf and directed a certificate of return to be issued to Gawuna.

The court deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total as invalid votes, stating that the affected ballot papers were not stamped or signed and therefore declared invalid.

Speaking to newsmen after the judgment which was given virtually, the NNPP stalwart, who pleaded anonymity said; “We have just come out of the Court and we heard the verdict.

“We have already informed our people yesterday that we suspect injustice and some foul play taking place in this Court prior to what has happened.

“We are appealing to our teeming supporters and the Kano populace that we are not taking it for granted. We are not accepting the judgement, we will appeal it and know that the Appeal Court will judge it better.

.Ganduje urges peace, patience

Meanwhile, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ganduje, has called for peace and patience from members of the party following sacking of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, of the Nigeria National Peoples Party (NNPP) by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The tribunal on Wednesday, ruled that the governorship candidate of the APC, Yusuf Gawuna, was validly elected and should be returned as Governor.

But reacting to the development, Ganduje, who is also the immediate past governor of Kano State, hailed the judgement as fair and true reflection of the wishes of the people of Kano State.

He thanked God and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the right atmosphere for the judiciary to give transparent judgement.

He said: “Today is a historic day. We thank Allah for providing an enabling environment for the judiciary to deliver fair, transparent judgement in our favour and judgement that is true.

“We thank the judiciary, our party leaders in our state, we thank the business community, the various support groups. We have to commend everybody in Kano state for being patient and continuous prayers for Allah to give us victory.

“We urge them to continue to be peaceful, to continue to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner. We assure the Business Community that our new government if we come in, Insha Allah under our able Governor, Dr Yusuf Gawana, that businesses will flourish in Kano.

“We thank Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is now in America, for creating an enabling environment for judiciary to flourish in Nigeria. We thank members for the press for giving coverage to enlighten, educate the people.”

In his remarks, the victorious APC candidate, Gawuna, said “Allah is the one that has done this. We pray that Allah will give us the health and life to be able to deliver to the people on the right path”.

He thanked Ganduje, whom he described a as his mentor, for nurturing his political growth with be level of confidence he had always reposed in him.

He pledged to continue with the good works of Ganduje in Kano State, adding that “we are going to be fair to everybody. Kano is a State of commerce; and commerce and education, health are areas we have highlighted in our blueprint during our campaign and Insha Allah we will continue with what we have said.

“We will make sure Kano is free from insecurity and other vices. We appreciate the support from the State and beyond.”

 

Accept judgement in good faith, ex-commissioner, Kwankwaso advises sacked Kano Gov

 

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has been advised to accept the judgment of the governorship election tribunal in good faith and not approach either the Appeal or Supreme court that there is no convincing evidence to upturned the tribunal judgment.

The former commissioner for rural and community development, Dr Ilyasu Musa Kwankwaso, made the comment shortly after the tribunal declared Dr Gawuna Yusuf, the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner in its ruling on Wednesday.

Dr Kwankwaso, an APC chieftain was also declared winner of the House of Representatives after the tribunal upheld his petition against Dr Yusuf Datti of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) on the basis of not qualified to contest the election because he failed to resign his appointment with Bayero University Kano.

According to him, “My good advice to Alhaji Yusuf, the defeated governor, is not to listen to anybody who may advise him to proceed to Appeal or Supreme court.”

Dr Kwankwaso then stated that the victory recorded by the APC is an act of God adding that the evidence table by “our party is well convincing and beyond any reasonable of doubt’.

 

According to him, “My advice to my brother, the former presidential candidate of NNPP is to advise his political boy Alhaji Abba Yusuf, not to venture of going to Appeal court but rallying round the winner of the tribunal to move the state forward”. Abba Yusuf and Kwankwaso   He, however, noted that though Yusuf has the constitutional right to seek redress before the court, it would not be proper for him to continue wasting the state’s meagre resources on a mission that would not be accomplished.

 

He added that Kano belonged to every indigene irrespective of political affiliations, noting that the era of politicking had gone but for all to team up with Dr Gawuna to succeed in moving the state to its greater height.

. .As tribunal affirms Bauchi Gov, Bala Mohammed’s victory  

In a related development, The  governorship election petitions tribunal in Bauchi  affirmed the election of  Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor of the state on Wednesday .

 

 

The tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar who challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship poll for lack of merit.

 

 

The candidate of the APC and his party approached the court challenging the result of the election, saying  that there were non compliance with electoral act, electoral irregularities as well as bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) machines in some polling units.

 

He also said that there were suppression of votes, inflation and deflation of scores and that the winner, Bala Mohammed was not duly elected by the majority of the voters.

 

While delivering the judgement, the Chairman of the three pannel Tribunal, Justice P.T Kwahar, said that the petitioner  faulted the election in some polling units of Toro, Dass, Zaki, Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Dambam and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.

 

The petitioners failed to prove allegation with a tangible evidence to show that the B-VAS was truly manipulated, Kwahar said.

 

According to him, the witnesses brought by the petitioner presented evidence based on hearsay as they were not present at the polling units, adding that they did not demonstrate enough to show that the results were mutilated, manipulated or tampered with as claimed.

 

He said tahey also failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the APC candidate won the election.

 

“The election of the 18th of March 2023 was conducted in total compliance with the electoral act and the petition is hereby dismissed.

 

“Consequently, the return of the second respondent as the truly elected governor of Bauchi state by the first respondent in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023 is hereby affirmed” he said

 

Speaking to journalists immediately after his victory, Governor  Bala  Mohammed said that it is time to set aside whatever misgivings and move on.

 

According to him, “today, the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Bauchi, revalidated the mandate that you gave to me last March. It was a profound judgment that will continue to resonate within multiple circles as a demonstration of judicial rigour and commonsense and an affirmation of the sovereign will of the people over political brinksmanship and an entitlement mentality.

 

“Our victory today is by the grace of Allah who gives power to whom he wishes and takes it without consulting the holder. We are once again reminded that all power is held in trust on behalf of God.

 

“It is an unambiguous statement that despite the mischief of political merchants who arrogate to themselves kingmaker status and deceive some of our unsuspecting compatriots into believing that they can determine the destiny of others, God still reigns in the affairs of all his creations.

 

“In the nature of things, many of our supporters would expect me to jubilate over the verdict that has just confirmed the overwhelming mandate that they freely gave to me at the last governorship election in the state. Naturally, I am relieved and happy that this distraction has been put aside.

 

“However, how I wish that we got to this point devoid of the acrimony, the bitterness, the resource hemorrhage, the bickering, the time wasted. How I wish that rather than dissipate energy through avoidable litigation, we had all resolved what is a disagreement among brothers through discussion, consultation and unity of purpose. How I wish all of us had submitted to the Supreme will of Allah than succumb to our ego and personal fantasies,” he said.

 

He also hailed the judiciary over the judgement, however, he decried that unbridled litigation continues to wreak incalculable havoc on politics, social consciousness and economic progress.

 

“As a constitutionalist who has stood with the law at critical moments in our country’s history, I will be the first to admit that the framers of our constitution did not err by coopting judicial intervention as part and parcel of the electoral process.

 

“It is the epitome of our Doctrine of Separation of Powers that gives confidence to the aggrieved not to resort to self-help. It ensures constitutional and social harmony.

 

“However, I wish to state, with every sense of responsibility, that unbridled litigation continues to wreak incalculable havoc on our body politics, social consciousness and economic progress. More importantly, it gives a segment of the populace a false sense of indignation just as it unnecessarily polarizes the society. In all sincerity, I do not think it pays to continue this way.

 

“Now that the tribunal has ruled, it is my candid opinion that it is time to set aside whatever misgivings we may have and move on. The task ahead of us is enormous, requiring unity of purpose, a polling together of resources, integration of talents and leveraging the unique attributes of each of the contestants, as we seek to create a better society for our people”.