Tension in Kano, Bauchi, and Sokoto over Supreme Court judgement today

Tension has risen in Kano, Sokoto and Bauchi states ahead of Supreme Court’s verdicts today on the governorship elections of the various states.

Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State have been challenged up to the Supreme Court.

After the Supreme court ousting of Emeka Ihedioha of Imo state last week, supporters of both the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are optimistic that the judgements need go in their favour today.

In Kano

Reports has it Governor Ganduje, his deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawna, top government functionaries as well as chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have temporarily relocated to Abuja anticipating the verdict of the court to go their way.

Peoples Democratic Party’s Alhaji Abba Kabiru Yusuf, popularly referred to as “Abba gida gida” is also anticipating the apex’s judgement in his favour after a nine-month legal battle for the governorship seat.

Members of the Kwankwasiyya political group are drumming support for the Court to invalidate the election that brought in Ganduje.

The PDP expects the Court to apply the same reasoning it used in Imo state for the Kano State Judgement.

“It is exactly what happened in Kano that happened in Imo. If an election has to be cancelled, it has to be at the polling unit level, according to the Supreme Court ruling. But in Kano, votes were not cancelled at the polling unit, they were not cancelled at the ward level but they were cancelled at the local government level. So it goes without saying that Ganduje is gone and anything to the contrary, Nigeria will see the fire,” Alhaji Buba Galadima, a PDP chieftain had claimed.

Legal team to Ganduje replied that the case of Imo is quite different from Kano. According to them “In Governor Ganduje’s case, the cancellation of some of the 207 polling units were carried out by the respective Independent (INEC) polling unit presiding officers as was clearly depicted in the numerous Form ECG 40s tendered and admitted in evidence without any objections by the petitioners.

“Again, in the Ganduje’s case, there was the inability of the INEC to collate the results of 62 polling units in Gama ward comprising over 48,000 registered voters in an election with a lead margin of only 26,000 votes! What is worse is that the disruption of the collation of the said results was caused by the PDP agent, one Dr. Yakasai, who testified as PW30.

“He admitted that whilst the said results were being collated, a commotion arose and he carted away the original results of INEC and hid himself in a room for over one hour with a biro with him! He kept the sensitive INEC documents in his custody for another hour before allegedly taking them to the Kano Commissioner of Police instead of INEC.”

Kabir had secured 1,014,474 against Ganduje who garnered 987,819 votes in the March 9 election.

However the APC candidate was declared winner after he secured the highest votes in the supplementary election that followed.

He subsequently garnered a total of 1,033,695, while the Peoples Democratic Party’s Abba Kabir, scored 1,024,713 votes.

In Bauchi

Supporters of the All Progressive Congress(APC) are demanding the review of the election that brought in PDP’s Bala Muhammed.

The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) had declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bala Mohammed, as the winner of the Bauchi State Governorship Election.

He polled 515,113 votes to defeat the incumbent governor Muhammed Abubakar who secured 500, 625 votes.

Supporters from both party lines went prayerful on Sunday, hoping for a favourable ruling.

In Sokoto State

Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, the APC candidate in the March 9 2019 election is challenging the former Speaker, house of representatives, Aminu Tambuwal whom INEC declared winner.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate had secured the highest votes of 512, 002, defeating his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival who polled 511, 660 votes after the supplementary election results were tallied.

The APC supporters are optimistic that judgement would be served in their favour today.