A group known as Stand Up Nigeria has advised the New Nigeria People’s Party in Kano State, to focus on the next governorship election in the state, instead of dwelling on its recent defeat at the tribunal.
Disclosing this in a statement issued by the National Coordinator of the Group, Sunday Attah on Saturday, the group warned the NNPP to stop intimidating the judiciary because of the outcome of the 2023 Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in the state.
It would be recalled that the election tribunal in the state, had on September 20, sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP, who was earlier declared as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state, while Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress, was declared as the winner of the election, by the INEC.
The tribunal, however, ordered the electoral umpire to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf.
However, the NNPP and the Kano governor have expressed the plan to challenge the judgement at the appeal court, noting that it was miscarried justice.
In response to the development, the group said, “You don’t have to intimidate the judiciary or cause war because you lost an election. The tenure is four years after which fresh elections would be conducted,” Attah said.
“You may prepare yourself to contest again instead of sponsoring people to blackmail highly respected justices of the election petition tribunal and intimidate the appeal court judges all in a bid to reverse a sound judgment already delivered.
“We understand that Kano has an international market which makes it a home to all Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe.”
It however, maintained that the NNPP must openly retract a statement by Adamu Aliyu, now sacked commissioner for land in Kano state, who threatened the judges.
“Here is a man ordinarily referred to as an honourable commissioner, so, where is the honourable? It shows how deep the NNPP must have gone in terms of intimidation of judicial officers in secret before it was made public,” attach said.
He added, “We believe that the intimidation and threat being mounted are targeted towards the appeal court judges to bully them.”
