From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A group, Progressive League of Youth Voters for Tinubu/Shettima, has warned that no amount of intimidation and blackmail from New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) can subvert justice at the Kano state governorship Appeal.
Coordinator of the group, Audu Usman Shuaibu, claimed in a statement issued in Abuja that NNPP, in collaboration with the state governor, Kabir Abba Yusuf, have been sponsoring negative campaigns against the judiciary since the ruling of the Kano state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The group urged Nigerians to encourage the justices of the Appeal Court, especially the ones handling the Kano state Governorship Appeal, not to give in to their gimmicks of sponsored propaganda.
“The Kano state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had on the 20th of September 2023 sacked Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor of Kano state and declared Nasiru Gawun as the duly elected governor of the state.
“Since then, the NNPP in collaboration with Kabir Abba Yusuf, have being sponsoring negative campaign against the judiciary in a bid to blackmail the learned Justices of the Appeal Court and bully them into subverting justice to overturn the sound and courageous judgement delivered by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay of the Kano state Governorship election petition tribunal on the 20th September, 2023.
“The Kano state governor has done everything possible to perpetuate himself in power, ranging from threat to judicial officials, to the Justices of the Federal High Court and now the Apeal Court judges handling the Kano state Governorship Apeal Tribunal.
“Although, various Civil Society Organisations, including the Transmission Monitoring Group (TMG) have come out openly to admit that over 165,000 votes allocated to the NNPP were invalid, thereby does not exist in the first instance, the state governor is still busy funding Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and some individuals like Femi Falana to attack the high reputation of the judiciary applauded across party line.
“Let it be known that, there is no amount of intimidation or blackmail that will deter the Appeal Court from delivering just judgement. I join all well-meaning Nigerians to encourage the Hon. Justices of the Appeal Court, especially the ones handling the Kano state Governorship Appeal, not to give in to their gimmicks of sponsored propaganda by Abba Kabir Yusuf and his party, NNPP,” the group appealed.
Reacting further, the group noted: “We advice politicians to desist from electoral fraud as the Nigerian judicial system is determined and strong enough to strengthening democracy by upholding the rule of law at all times. The judiciary has proven to be the last hope of the common man with the series of judgements delivered so far.”