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Contrary to misconception, Appeal Court upheld Kano Governor’s Election – Falana
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has said that contrary to the general impression that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, the majority judgement of the Court upheld his appeal and granted all the reliefs sought by the governor.
KANO FOCUS reports that Falana revealed this on Tuesday night while featuring on Arise News Primetime,
Falana said he was surprised when he read a copy of the judgement, to see that the majority judgement set aside the judgement of the lower tribunal and awarded cost in favour of the governor.
‘’You will be surprised if I show you the judgement. To my utter dismay the majority judgement of the Court of Appeal in Kano upheld the Appeal, set aside the judgement of the lower court and awarded cost in favour of the governor that was removed by the lower Tribunal. There are contradictions which the court can no longer explain, but which is likely to be taken up by the Supreme Court.
‘’Contrary to the impression that has been given out there, the majority judgement of the Court of Appeal has confirmed that the judgement of the lower court was wrong, and has set it aside in writing, upheld the Appeal and granted all the reliefs sought by Governor Abba. So, you ask yourself, what’s going on?’’
According to Falana, no serious democracy allows the court to determine the winner of elections, adding that Nigeria must put an end to it.
He also advocated for a mechanism to be put in place to deal with electoral offenders no matter how highly placed.
‘’We must go back to Justice Uwais Electoral Committee recommendations, which were adopted by the 2014 National Conference, adopted by Lemu Committee, adopted by the Ken Nnamani Electoral Reform Committee, so that we can begin to hold elections that will reflect the will of the people.
‘’We must not applaud the court when we are favoured, we must have a common standard whereby the wishes of the people must be respected. You cannot say you want to punish somebody for the errors of INEC electoral officials as it was the case in Kano. That is almost scandalous.
He said Nigeria is the only country in the world that records the highest number of election petitions, warning that unless ‘we put in place an electoral system that will punish those that violate the law with impunity, the wishes of the electorates will be trampled upon.
On why INEC get away with wrong doings, Falana said: ‘’The law requires judges to punish on the basis of evidence led before them those who can be said to have manipulated the electoral system or who subverted the electoral system and make a mockery of the wishes of the people.
‘’In those days, judges recommended sanctions for electoral offenders. These days we are only busy with who won the election and who did not win the election, while those that caused the problem go scot-free’’.
According to the fiery lawyer, the Attorneys General appointed by some of the riggers of the elections quietly withdrew cases by filling nolle prosequi applications in court against those arrested for electoral offences.
He said: ‘’That was why the Uwais Committee recommended that we should have an Independent Electoral Offences Commission to deal with those who breach the provisions of electoral law. But it has been rejected over the years; instead, they are saying INEC shall prosecute electoral offenders.”
‘’But we must unbundle IENC to enable it to concentrate on conducting elections by having an electoral offences commission. Also, political Party Regulation.”
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching a resolution with any individual on the trending defection rumoured to the ruling party or any other political party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso, who considered the recent statement credited to have suggested a particular position as an imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.
A statement posted on his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, the ex-Governor insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
In the said false information that went viral, Kwankwaso was quoted to have revealed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on multiple occasions, urging him to return to the APC fold.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Sen. Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.”
” I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources”. Kwankwaso RM.”
In a releted development, the author of the purported false statement Ibrahim Rabiu has issued a self counter, denouncing the statement as a work of devil.
“I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his belhalf”
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation”
The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sunusi II, commended the Adolescent Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project for reenrolling over 30,000 adolescent girls and renovating more than 1,300 schools across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir made the commendation while reeiving AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SIPU) who paid him an advocacy visit recently.
Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi ll
He emphasized the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to advocating for education and pledged continued support to ensure the enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in Kano.
The Emir also emphasized the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing policies and programs that foster the development of the state and the nation at large.
AGILE Project Coordinator presenting gift to Emir of Kano
He expressed satisfaction with the AGILE project’s strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the use of grants and conditional cash transfers.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu said more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) second chance education in Kano.
AGILE PC and Emir of Kano
He said this initiative provides out-of-school adolescent girls an opportunity to complete their secondary education, gain entrepreneurship and life skills.
According to him, the second chance education students undergo literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship training across 5,000 learning centers.
Athletes who participated in AGILE WEEK Games
He further explained that after nine months of instruction, the students sit for examinations and are awarded certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
“Those who enroll in the advanced literacy program also have the opportunity to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC,” he added.
He said they visited the Emir’andalace to seek blessings and advocate for support to achieve their goals.
AGILE Communications Officer and games officials
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-assisted initiative implemented through Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria.
The gale of defection from opposition political parties intensifies as two members of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdullahi Sani Rogo and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that both lawmakers represent Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya and Karaye/Rogo federal constituency of Kano State.
Both lawmakers announced their defection at plenary presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
On hand to witness the defection on the floor of the House was the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accompanied by some members of the national working committee of the party.
However, the Minority Whip, Isa Ali JC, faulted the defection of the lawmakers on the basis that it was against constitutional provisions.
As of Thursday, no fewer than 30 members of opposition political parties have dumped their parties to join the APC.
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