Security beefed up in Kano ahead of tribunal’s verdict on guber poll

The Kano state police command has deployed officers in strategic locations in the metropolis ahead of the judgement of the governorship election petition tribunal.

TheCable reporter, who visited some areas of the state on Tuesday, observed that combined security forces comprising mobile police force and civil defense operatives were stationed at the state high court, venue of the tribunal.

Abdullahi Haruna, command spokesperson, said the move is to forestall any threat to peace and stability ahead of the tribunal judgement.

He warned members of the public to avoid unlawful assembly, adding that the ban on any form of protest or public procession in the state was still in force.

The tribunal headed by Halima Shamaki will on Wednesday rule on the petition of Abba Yusuf, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the victory of Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

Yusuf had asked the tribunal to set aside the election on the grounds that there were irregularities.

But Ganduje, through his lawyers, told the court that the petitioners failed to prove that the election was rigged.

The governor and his party argued that the exhibits that were tendered by the petitioners were not certified true copies (CTC), asking the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety.

Offiong Offiong, Ganduje’s counsel, submitted that Yusuf invoked presumptions in attempt to prove to the court that he was elected as Kano state governor.

Responding to the submissions made by the respondent, Kanu Agabi, counsel to the petitioners, urged the court to ignore the response from the respondents on the issues raised.

Agabi said the PDP candidate scored the highest number of votes during the March 9 election, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to declare him the winner.

He pleaded that the rerun election held on March 23 be declared null and void, asking the tribunal to use results of the March 9 poll and return Yusuf as the winner of the election.

The three-man panel will make judicial pronouncement on the submissions raised by the parties on Wednesday.

Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustration