.Says CTC doctored in APC’s favour

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has protested the ruling of the Kano Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court that sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, and has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review the verdicts.

Recall that All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, had challenged the victory of Governor Yusuf on the grounds that he was not a bonafide member of the NNPP.

But the NNPP acting National Chairman Abba Kawu Ali, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, insisted that Governor Yusuf was a member of the party before the primary that brought him in.

Ali, also, claimed that the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgements delivered by Justice Moore Aseimo Abraham Adumein (JCA) and concurred to by Honorable Justice Bitrus Gyarazama JCA, and Honorable Justice Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu (JCA) were doctored in favour of Abba Kabir Yusuf, contrary to what was presented to the public.

Represented by the National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, he said: “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, to our greatest surprise, the CTC showed that the judgement delivered by Honorable Justice Moore Aseimo Abraham Adumein (JCA) and concurred to by Honorable Justice Bitrus Gyarazama JCA, and Honorable Justice Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu (JCA) is actually in favour of our Candidate, the Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf.

“At page 67 of the extant judgement in its conclusive findings held inter alia:”In the circumstances, I resolve all the issues in favour of the Appellant” (Engr. Yusuf Abba Kabir)”the judgement of the Tribunal in petition No: EPT/KN/GOV/01/2023 between the All Progressives Congress (APC) Vs INEC & 2 others delivered on the 20th day of September 2023 is hereby set aside”

“”The sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) only is hereby awarded as costs in favour of the appellant (Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf) and against the 1st respondent” (APC).

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, this is the complex situation we as a Political Party and our Candidate have found ourselves.

“If at the point of delivering the judgement, there was a pronouncement that our Appeal failed but the CTC of the same judgement in its conclusive findings actually resolved all the issues in our favour, and even awarded costs in our favour against the APC, this definitely is a riddle! We are an interested party.

“We own the platform on which Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf ran for the election and was declared the winner. We are calling on the National Judicial Council (NJC), to without delay commence investigation to unravel what happened in the matter.

“Also, we are calling on eminent members of the bench (both retired and serving) and the bar, to be interested in what happened that we have the kind of scenario presented in the CTC of the judgement of the Appeal Court.

“In addition we call on Leaders, elders and other major Stakeholders in the Nigerian project, including the media, to step into this matter to avert the danger this type of signal from the judiciary portends for our democracy in particular, and our country in general.”