Protects have erupted in Kano State over the Appeal Court verdict sacking Governor Abba Yusuf.
The fresh protests followed the appearance of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Appeal Court judgement in the public domain. Channels TV reported that CTC in the public domain seemed contrary to the verdict of the appellate court.
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Vanguard reported that the protest broke out around the Kofar DanAgundi area in Kano Municipal.
Vanguard also reported that “of interest was the fact that the CTC contradicts the judgment that was initially read out in court on Friday.”
The Police in Kano State dispersed defiant protesters, who took to the streets of the ancient city over the contradicting Appeal Court judgment.
Police authorities in the state had vowed to clamp down on any group protesting in the state following the sacking of the governor.
In a news conference in Abuja, the National Legal Adviser of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, dismissed concerns about the reported contradictions in the CTC of the judgment which affirmed the judgment of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, declaring its candidate, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the governorship election.
“Those of us who are lawyers know that typographical errors often occur in certified true copies of court judgments.
“Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been a confusion if it was probably not a political matter, because it will not be the first time such typographical mistakes will be seen in judgments and being lawyers we are used to a situation like this.
“All that should be done is to merely correct that mistake. The most important thing is the judgment that was read in open court,” said Kana.
Asked if the party has formally sought correction of the misleading portion of the judgment, Kana said as far as his office was concerned, he had not received the certified true copy of the judgment.
“But we will write and get a copy. If the copy that will be conveyed to us still contains this error, we will take steps eventually.
“What we will do, and we have done right now, is to write to demand for the CTC. If it is the one containing that error, which is being bandied around, we will now know what to do next.
“But, I will suggest that whoever may have received the CTC containing that error, if he was the appropriate person and entitled to a copy, would have taken the necessary steps.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in March 2023 declared Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the winner of the poll but the state governorship election petitions tribunal sacked him in September.
Earlier in November, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the decision of the Tribunal. It held that Yusuf was not in the NNPP’s register, making him unqualified to contest the election.
The court declared the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Nasiru Gawuna as the winner of the poll in a move that has caused tensions in the North-West state.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
