NNPP petitions EU, US, AU over ‘clandestine moves to truncate Abba Yusuf’s mandate’

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has petitioned the European Union (EU), the United States and the African Union (AU) over the judgment of the court of appeal sacking Abba Yusuf as the governor of Kano.

NNPP also petitioned the Canadian high commission and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

NNPP leaders and supporters, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest walk to the secretariats of the aforementioned organisations in Abuja.

BACKGROUND

On November 17, the court of appeal in Abuja affirmed the verdict of the Kano state governorship election petition tribunal which sacked Yusuf, candidate of the NNPP, as the governor.

However, the certified true copy of the judgment contained contradictory resolutions, with the judge ruling in favour of and against the governor at the same time.

Addressing the situation, Umar Bangari, chief registrar of the court of appeal, said the purported discrepancy was a clerical error that did not affect the court’s decision.

The leadership of the NNPP had asked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to probe the court of appeal over discrepancies in the CTC.

The development has heightened the tension in Kano state as NNPP supporters, on several occasions, stage protests in different parts of the state.

THE WEDNESDAY PEACEFUL PROTEST WALK

Speaking while presenting the petition at the EU secretariat in Abuja, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP’s national auditor, said there are attempts to truncate the will of the people in Kano as it relates to the March 18 election.

Johnson asked President Bola Tinubu and international organisations to “counsel” the supreme court on the Kano governorship election dispute.

He recalled how the 2019 mandate of the governor was “allegedly snatched away by the powers that be under very controversial circumstances”.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu, world leaders, former Nigerian Presidents/ Heads of States, heads of international organisations, and heads of local and international security agencies, and all promoters of democracy to counsel the Nigerian judiciary, specifically the supreme court, in respect of the Kano state governorship seat,” he said.

“As we head towards this next level of adjudication, which of course is the final, there is palpable tension in Kano.

“The city’s atmosphere is enveloped in anger, with a sense of shock and agony pervading every discussion on the streets, offices, and homes.

“From the look of things, there are clandestine moves to truncate the will of the vast majority of the people of Kano State concerning the governor they freely and willingly elected on March 18, 2023.”