Tension In Kano, Plateau, Six Other States As S/Court Gives Ruling Today

 …Affirms Eno As Akwa Ibom Governor

…Police Deploy Armed Personnel In Kano

ABUJA – Palpable tension has enveloped Kano, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross River and Bauchi states as the Supreme Court is set to deliver judgments in the governorship appeals emanating from the states today.

For Kano, candidate of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 governorship election, Nasiru Gawuna, wants the apex court to upturn the electoral victory of Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria’s Peoples Party (NNPP). ­

The Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, and the Court of Appeal had at sepa­rate times removed Yusuf from office.

However, today’s judgment will determine whether or not Yusuf will be declared the rightful winner of the Kano State guber­natorial election.

Similarly, the apex court will decide the fate of Governor Ca­leb Mutfwang of Plateau State against Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The apex court had on Jan­uary 9, 2024, reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Governor Mutfwang, seeking to overturn the verdict of the Court of Appeal which voided his election.

By the appeal, Mutfwang is praying the court to uphold the judgment of the tribunal and set aside the judgment of the appel­late court because the respon­dents have no right to question how a party elects its state exec­utives.

Also the Supreme Court will give judgment in the case of Zam­fara, Lagos, Cross River, Bauchi states.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed three separate appeals filed by some governorship candidates seeking nullification of election of Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno Bassey, on account of alleged certificate forgery.

The petitions were filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), Young Progressive Party (YPP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

However, the apex court dis­missed the appeals following their withdrawal.

Consequently, the petition by the APC and its governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia, that of YPP and its gubernatorial candidate, Akpan Albert Bassey, as well as NNPP and its gover­norship candidate, John James Akpan Udoedehe, were dismissed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji.

Counsel in the matters had made spirited futile attempts to convince the Supreme Court that Emo Eno Bassey and Bassey Eno Emo were not the same and as such that the governor allegedly forged his Secondary School Certificate.

Their arguments based on forgery allegations did not go down well with the five-man pan­el as the Justices queried the law­yers on whether the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) gave evidence to establish the criminal allegations.

Upon admission that WAEC did not testify in the matter, the lawyers opted and separately withdrew the appeal.

This prompted Justice Ab­ba-Aji to dismiss them following no objections from lawyers to the various respondents.

The court did not award cost against any of the lawyers to the appellants having voluntarily withdrew their cases on ground of want of merit.

Police Deploy Armed Personnel Ahead Of Supreme Court Judgment

Meanwhile, the Kano Police Command has deployed oper­atives and have assured that it was working with other securi­ty agencies to ensure crisis-free moments before and after the Supreme Court judgment on the state’s governorship election slat­ed for today.

Kano Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hussaini Gumel, gave the assurance shortly after meeting with heads of security agencies in Kano on Thursday.

He said police and other se­curity operatives have mobilised sufficient armed personnel to provide security at all flashpoints.

The police commissioner list­ed the flashpoints to include po­litical party offices, Government House, INEC HQ, banks, com­mercial areas, mosques, church­es, recreation centres, and motor parks before, during, and after the judgment on the governorship election tussle.

Gumel said the security mea­sures would enable residents of the state to move on with their legitimate businesses without threat to lives and property.

He explained that already oper­ational order with specific roles to all the security personnel had been issued to Area Commanders, Tac­tical Commanders, and Divisional Police Officers across the 44 local government areas of the state.

“We have mobilised sufficient armed personnel to provide secu­rity at all flashpoints, including political party offices, Govern­ment House, INEC HQ, banks, commercial areas, mosques, churches, recreation centers and motor parks before, during and after the judgment.

“I am giving 100 percent assur­ance to all law-abiding residents of the state to go about freely with their legitimate daily activities without threat to lives and prop­erty,” the commissioner said.

He said armed security per­sonnel would be in all identified strategic locations to ensure that they embark on surveillance duties and provision of physical security during and after the judgment.

Gumel expressed optimism that security measures already put in place would promote peaceful coexistence amongst the residents.

He called on all residents to keep cooperating with the armed security personnel and to share actionable intelligence infor­mation on any person or group planning to disrupt the peace or embark on violent protests be­fore and after the Supreme Court judgment been scheduled to hold today.