Stand Up Nigeria, a group advocating for justice and peace, has called for the immediate relocation of Appeal Court justices from Kano to Abuja due to alleged threats and intimidation from supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The group urged both the NNPP leadership and the Kano State government to publicly retract violent threats directed at the Appeal Court justices, which also reportedly involved a commissioner serving under Governor Abba Yusuf.

Sunday Attah, the National Coordinator of Stand Up Nigeria, made this demand during a press conference held in Abuja on Saturday. The group reminded everyone that the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had recently ruled against Abba Yusuf and declared Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Kano State.

Attah stated, “In light of the aforementioned events, we strongly condemn the actions of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) leadership, who have been using their supporters to threaten the judges and disrupt the peace in Kano State. They must understand that attempting to intimidate the judiciary to sway judges in their favour would result in a miscarriage of justice, as the law is impartial and unwavering.”

He further emphasised, “There’s no need to intimidate the judiciary or incite conflict simply because you lost an election. Political tenures last for four years, after which fresh elections are held. Instead of sponsoring campaigns to blackmail highly respected Justices of the election petition tribunal and intimidate Appeal Court judges in an attempt to reverse a fair judgment, candidates can prepare for future elections.”

Attah also highlighted the vulnerability of the justices, saying, “Our justices are not invulnerable. They lack bulletproof protection, and any threats to their safety should prompt the Nigerian government to take immediate action to safeguard them. If there are threats to their lives in any state, we call upon the National Judicial Council (NJC) to swiftly relocate them to a safe environment where they can dispense justice impartially. There is no law that dictates judgments must be delivered within the state under such circumstances.”