Anxiety grips Kano ahead of Appeal Court judgement
As the Court of Appeal prepares to rule on the Kano State gubernatorial election challenges before the week’s end, residents and political figures are bracing themselves for the impending verdict.
Recall Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) was sacked by the election petitions tribunal, which ordered Nasir Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be sworn in instead, prompting Yusuf to approach the Court of Appeal for redress.
The police in Kano have already raised the security level in the state with the deployment of more personnel to strategic places in the state metropolis.
The police have also banned political gatherings and raised the alarm about suspected “preparation for violent processions, protests, or celebrations that may trigger reactions”.
The state police commissioner, Usaini Gumel, who assured residents of adequate security before and after the judgement, advised residents against unguarded statements or engaging in violent protests or celebrations that may ignite reactions in the commercial city.
Residents in Kano state disclosed to reporters that, despite the fact that the judgements would be delivered in Abuja, not knowing the exact day has placed them in strung-up conditions.
“You know, if the date was clear by now, we would have made adequate plans to stay indoors. But I know for certain that even if my children have gone to school on the day the judgement will be delivered, I will rush there and bring them back home. I don’t trust these politicians and their supporters. You know how desperate they can be,” a father of three in Kano, who asked not to be named, said.
Supporters of the ruling NNPP have been attempting to draw comparisons with the fate of the PDP in Plateau. Their optimism, on one hand, is hinged on the fact that three federal lawmakers of the party sacked by the tribunal were restored to their seats by the Court of Appeal.
But supporters of the APC believe that the judgement would be different from the one restoring the NNPP lawmakers because the issues and arguments in the governorship petition are different from those involving federal constituencies.
The Chairman of the NNPP in Kano, Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, said the party is optimistic that the appeal court will upturn the verdict of the lower court because “all stakeholders in the legal system have faulted the decision.”
Similarly, Hassan Fagge, an aide to the APC governorship candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, said, “Based on the evidence presented before the tribunal and its subsequent judgement, victory is ours by the grace of God at the Court of Appeal.”
Meanwhile, residents in the state have urged the court to be free and fair to all parties, adding that whichever way the judgement came, should be embraced by all and sundry.
