Anticipation Builds as Kano and Other States Await Supreme Court Rulings on Governorship Elections
As the Supreme Court prepares to deliver its judgments in January on various petitions challenging the rulings of the Court of Appeal regarding governorship elections, there is a palpable sense of anxiety among party stakeholders and supporters.
Following the governorship elections held on March 18, 2023, in several states, aggrieved candidates and their parties filed petitions in court, contesting the declaration of their opponents as winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
These governorship election cases have traversed state tribunals and appeal courts, ultimately reaching the Supreme Court for final judgment. States such as Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Nasarawa, Benue, and Bauchi are among those awaiting the Supreme Court’s verdicts.
In Kano State, residents anxiously await the apex court’s judgment on the governorship election dispute, while supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) stage protests and rallies in favor of or against the Appeal Court’s ruling. The appellate court upheld the tribunal’s verdict that nullified Governor Abba Yusuf’s election and declared Dr. Nasiru Gawuna of the APC as the legitimate winner.
Supporters of the NNPP have raised objections to the Appeal Court’s ruling, particularly regarding the controversy surrounding the claim of two conflicting judgments, one against and one in favor of the incumbent governor.
On the other hand, APC supporters have celebrated the two judgments that favored their candidate.
The mounting anxiety in the state led the Kano State Police Commissioner, Gumel, to ban all protests and rallies, and the leadership of both parties signed a peace accord. However, these efforts have not been entirely successful, as incidents of violence have occurred.
Alhaji Alhassan Yaryasa, an APC chieftain in the state, blamed the NNPP supporters for the tension, stating that their actions were aimed at gaining public sympathy since they did not win the initial governorship election.
Attempts to reach Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, the NNPP Chairman in the state, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to several phone calls from correspondents.
