Governor of Kano State, HE. Abba Yusuf
By Ibrahim Garba and Raphael Ekpang
Political gimmicks, mudslinging, power play, intense drama and all forms of hate speech that trailed the ruling ahead of the final judgement of the election petition tribunal sitting in Kano North West Nigeria will take a back seat when the Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebey panel decides on the winner of the 2023 gubernatorial elections tomorrow (September 20, 2023).
The honorable justice is trading on a familiar terrain having sat to decide similar cases in Delta, 2011 and Kogi, 2016 governorship election petition tribunal in the past.
She’s widely regarded as one of the most decorated judges in the country and a non partisan personality
This has brought a lot of fear and anxiety into the whole exercise. She would not compromise rather she will study every petition filed and judgement goes according to the content of the electoral Act and petition filed by the appellant. Both the defence counsel and the petitioner has a day to remember considering the claims submitted
APC governorship candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna’
It is a well known fact that tensions and emotions rent the air in an already heater atmosphere. Kano is the hotbed of Northern Nigeria. And with the stakes very high, it is obvious that only counsels with the best defence shall smile home on Wednesday.
It is about the margin of lead, statement of claims, literary interpretation of the electoral Act as against the legal interpretation of the Act determined by the panel after reviewing the petitions filed by both parties to the elections.
Although we have two strong contenders in APC and the NNPP, most others are in solidarity with the ruling NNPP after conceding defeat during the last elections. They unanimously congratulated Abba Kabir Yusuf as winner of the elections. But like in a twist of play, the petitioner later retreated saying it was an act done without full consultation with stakeholders of his party, APC.
Question however is, what is Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna’s statement of claim after loosing the election, and what are the basis of his petition?
If the result of the February presidential election as announced in Kano by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) is has anything to go by, then the gap between Engr Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that returned close to a million votes as against his closest rival of about 600,000 votes is a proof that NNPP won fair and square. In literary term the party won.
But the governorship election took a different dimension. There were over a dozen aspirants and each participated until the last day of the election. The NNPP got over a million votes as against the APC led by Gawuna with a little above eight hundred thousand or more.
Violence may have been recorded in some few areas over cases of voter intimidation recorded by supporters of both parties, but the Act may have taken note of facts of the matter that every participant share the blame.
Abdulrahman Bala is a public affairs analyst and also a youth activist who witnessed the unfolding drama ahead of the 2023 elections in Kano State describes the mood of the city as very moody; saying people are living in the fear of the unknown. However, he was quick to call the attention of security agencies to be deployed to forestall any act of violence that may arise upon the final ruling by the election petition tribunal. He warned both state and non state actors to not overheat the polity with hate speeches as that could lead to a breakdown of law and order in a place we are enjoying fragile peace at the moment.
Similarly, the zonal head of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission Jamilu Jega appealed for calm noting that ” politicians should embrace peace in a heated situation like this, the final ruling by the court should be seen as an attestation that it is the best decision for Kano”.
Abba Kabir Yusuf seems to have more advantage over Nasir Yusuf Gawuna due to the events that played out before the elections.
There were widespread allegations of last minute attempt by the former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to auction state owned properties to cronies, high handedness by the former first lady, abuse of office by some cabinet members and massive corruption coupled with the role of non state actors prior to the elections, these caused anger and frustration leading to the election in which people began to advocate for a change by voting out the APC in Kano.
The Kwankwasiyya movement were seen on the other hand nursing revenge as bitter rivals laced with envy and vendetta in most of their public appearances. So the people were divided on whom should take over from Ganduje. But eventually from the result as announced by the electoral umpire NNPP which was synonymous to “The Kwankwasiyya Movement” to over the day.
There were other reported cases of hate speeches and voters’ intimidation which went off limits by both parties. Thuggery, killing of NNPP members in Doguwa and Tudunwad were widely reported, there was use of firearms and threat to life which almost marred the elections in Kano State.
These ugly scenarios played out during the elections but, the electoral umpire surmounted all these and came out with a clear result of the election which favours the candidate of NNPP. Though pundits already predicted the likely winner because. Kwankwaso loyalists were seeing dominating the space political because according to some of the analysts then he has the biggest followership in Kano going by his track record of achievements in office.
The influence of the presidential flag bearer played critical role in the build up to the election as he was seen almost everywhere visibly campaigning for his candidate Abba Kabir Yusuf on all fronts. But that of Gawuna can be described as a lonely monk walking in the rain with a leaking umbrella. He never exude that confidence and even his closest associates abandoned him when he needed them most. It became clearer by the day that his principal former governor of Kano State Abdullahi Ganduje dumped him right in the middle of the storm. He wasn’t so visible weeks before the election at campaign rallies, rather he was more concerned about last minute deals before his exit. His below per performance weaken the strategies of the Gawuna-led campaign and it wasn’t long before Gawuna threw in the towel by conceding defeat to his main challenger, Abba Kabir Yusuf in a broadcast to his supporters.
What however led to the petition may have come from threats and warning from the NNPP after accepting the result as announced by INEC. Abba Kabir Yusuf made it clear all illegal structures must be pulled down and illegal allocations shall be revoked immediately upon assumption of office. But most of these properties have C of O and are located in business districts, and people have invested so much and feeling been betrayed by the NNPP.
These reactions may have fuelled speculations ahead of the ruling by the tribunal rooting for Gawuna to be named as the rightful winner so the status quo would be retained.
However, judgement by the tribunal may not be a substance of emotion or empathy, but a pronouncement based on evidences tendered by both defence counsels and the applicant. It is likened to a situation described in the Hollywood movies; between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Kano is strategic for the ruling APC, but the force of the Kwankwassiya movement cannot be underestimated.
Quite recently, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf fired one commissioner and a Special adviser in their attempt to pre-empt the outcome of the judgement calling for chaos. In a public statement by his commissioner for information Halilu Dantiye, the government termed it as unnecessary and embarrassing and stands condemned and immediately sack the duo. The governor by this act demonstrated high level regard for the rule of law and good governance in Kano.
Though, some loyalists of the governor are of the view that the sacked Commissioner and the Special Adviser were acting the script of the APC candidate who is convinced that the judgement may not go his way and the only way he could weep sentiment was to use his men in government to attack the judges and relevant persons in government at the center for their benefit. But, as it is now, governor Abba Kabir Yusuf seems smarter than his challenger.
Now, the question begging for answer is, can the people trust Abba Kabir Yusuf going forward.
Following the above on the outcome of the judgement, would the electoral tribunal deliver the judgement base on merit or fall into the plan of the opposition party, APC?
