The national leader of a group under the auspices of Rescue Movement for New Nigeria (RMNN), Faduri Oluwadare Joseph, has called on the Supreme Court to save the nation’s democracy by keeping the hope of the common man alive in ensuring justice is rightly delivered in the ongoing legal battle between winners and losers of the 2023 gubernatorial elections, particularly in Kano State.
A statement by Joseph which was made available to Daily Sun by the group’s National Media Director & Publicity, Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, said the group is solidly behind Abba Kabir Yusuf as the duly elected governor of Kano State, and appealed to the Supreme Court to rescue Kano State as the judiciary is regarded as the last hope of the masses.
“Hence, we enjoin well meaning Nigerians to appeal to the Supreme Court to save our democracy, save us this total ignominy and do the right thing without caring whose ox is gored. We are watching and the entire world is watching as well”. The statement said.
The group cited the discrepancies between the verbal judgement of the Appeal Court and the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the same judgement, whereas the final verdict of the CTC of the judgement dismissed the judgement that sacked Abba Kabir Yusuf of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), thus affirming the Abba as the duly elected governor of Kano State, contrary to the verbal judgement that the judges of the same Appeal Court read out.
“We are so sad because the situation where the judiciary is suspected to have compromised is a coup d’etat to our democracy. Of note is the recent development in Kano State over the gubernatorial election petition tribunal that have been viewed as a coup. And we must commend the people of Kano State for standing by the governor they elected, Abba Yusuf as they are standing by their mandate.
“This is what every Nigerian ought to do to fight for the sustenance of our democracy. So that our so-called “godfathers” will no longer be able to hijack power.
“We are glad that His Excellency Senator Musa Kwakwanso was able to deliver his State as the candidate of his party NNPP, Abba Kabir Yusuf won the governorship election.
“It is the right of any other candidate and political party to seek redress before the election petition tribunal if they feel they have facts and evidence that they won, but their victory was manipulated, and the tribunal is expected to do justice. Hence, we have the All Progressive Congress (APC) taking their case over to the Kano State gubernatorial election petition tribunal, challenging the result that brought in Abba Yusuf of NNPP.
“But it’s appalling, it’s disgracing and it’s inhumane that the justice system in Nigeria is beginning to have a face that many of us don’t want to see. Whereas we were thinking that the only hope of the common man should be the judiciary. But it’s so sad to begin to witness the situation where it’s as if our judiciary is beginning to bow to the political manipulative power.
“It is lamentable the obvious discrepancies between the judgement read out by the Appeal Court judges and the verdict contained in the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the same Appeal Court, “whereas the verbal judgement upheld the decision of the lower court sacking Abba Yusuf while the CTC of the same judgement contains two different pronouncements as seen in page 67 of the CTC of the judgement of the Appeal Court, with the last two paragraphs and 4th to the last paragraph knocking off APC and clearly dismissed the judgement of the election petition tribunal that sacked Abba Yusuf of NNPP and even awarded cost of N1 million in favour of Abba Yusuf of NNPP, meaning by this statement in the last two paragraphs of CTC of the Appeal Court, the election of Abba Yusuf of NNPP as the duly elected governor of Kano State is affirmed.
“Therefore, the question to the Appeal Court is that can mere typographical error be so consistent in two successive last paragraphs as well as another paragraph just in the last four paragraphs?
“In our view, and considering the number of people trooping out in Kano State to protest, the number and calibre of well meaning Nigerians lamenting over the decision of the lower court and the Appeal Court, it’s so obvious that Abba Kabir Yusuf is the choice of the majority of Kano State people.
“And with our entire movement all across Nigeria we are standing solidly with the good people of Kano State,” the statement added.(Sun)