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• Investigate Kano, Plateau, Zamfara tribunal verdicts, groups tell NJC
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Several angry women estimated at over one thousand, yesterday, stormed the streets of Kano to express their anger over the Appeal Court judgment.
Kano State has been embroiled in political upheaval following the conflict in the Appeal Court judgment where verbal and written judgments differ.
The women, who brandished various placards with different messages, chanted solidarity songs in support of Governor Abba Yusuf ended their march at the state police command where they submit a letter detailing their grievances in the aftermath of the appellate court’s judgment.
According to observers, it was the first time in the history of Kano that women would come out en masse to march on the streets and demand justice for democracy. They angry women said they would continue their protest until their mandate of March 18 governorship election.
“We are out today because we believe in democracy and the independence of the judiciary. We are calling on relevant stakeholders to do the needful and allow the will of the Kano people prevail,” one of the protesters, Rabi Hotoro, said.
She said they were on the streets to express concerns over what transpired at the Appeal Court last week.
Meanwhile, youths from the South South states have called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate all conflicting tribunal and Court of Appeal cases in some states.
The youths under several groups, urged NJC to probe the tribunal and appeal court verdicts, particularly in Zamfara, Plateau and Kano states, describing the judgments as ‘scandalous’.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, spokesman of the coalition, Podoki Austin, said the decision of the court in the three northern states constitute an existential security threat to the country.
“The rule of law is also under strain. Unfortunately, it is clear to all that the judiciary has never had it this bad in the country. The various cases from the elections and the, sometimes, conflicting and contradictory judgments from the tribunals and now the appellate court has made the average Nigerian feel the judiciary is no longer the last hope for the common man.
“The feeling now is that the judiciary is a tool in the hands of the political class to help it achieve its aim against the people.
“The judiciary must immediately look inwards to correct the negative impression that Nigerians have about them. The NJC must investigate all that occurred with the tribunals and Court of Appeal in Zamfara, Plateau cases and especially with the Kano State gubernatorial appeal court decision.
“Even to us as youths in the South South, it is glaringly clear that the contradictory nature of the lead judgment in the Kano appeal case is scandalous.
“A couple of paragraphs and sentences cannot be defined as clerical errors. Nigerians may keep quiet, but we are not fools. Here, we believe and see that there has been great and high level injustice; injustice in high places.
“We humbly sound a note of warning to the three arms of government at the federal level, especially the executive and judicial arms. We say this because the decisions of the courts in these three states constitute an existential security threat to the country. With the existing theatres that the military are bravely tied down to at the moment, we do not feel it is wise to open other chapters,” he said.
