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Protest Erupts in Kano as NNPP Supporters Decry Election Tribunal Verdict

Published

7 months ago

September 23, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

On Friday, many Kano State residents, who were ardent supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), expressed their discontent through a protest regarding the recent ruling by the election petition tribunal. This ruling led to the removal of Governor Yusuf Abba from office.

Recall that Governor Abba was ousted by the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday.

READ MORE:

Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Removes NNPP Candidate, Declares APC’s Nasir Gawuna as Governor

The tribunal, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, decided to withdraw the Certificate of Return previously presented to Yusuf by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Additionally, the tribunal declared Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the March 18 governorship election winner.

INEC had initially declared that NNPP garnered 1,019,602 votes, surpassing the APC, whose candidate received 890,705 votes. However, the tribunal invalidated the margin of votes secured by the NNPP, deeming them non-compliant with the 2022 electoral act. They deducted 165,663 votes from the NNPP’s tally, citing that the ballot papers for these votes lacked the required stamp or signature and were declared invalid.

Subsequently, in response to the tribunal’s judgment, the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Wednesday.

On Friday, reports from Naija News indicated that fervent NNPP supporters took to the streets to voice their frustration with the ruling, alleging injustice on the part of the tribunal. They carried placards bearing various messages, including “Gandollar, leave the judiciary alone,” “The people of Kano demand justice,” and “It’s Abba that we want,” among others.

The protesters called for a review of the tribunal’s judgment and firmly declared their refusal to accept any injustice. They emphasized that their votes were cast for Abba and would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their choice.

“We voted for Abba, not any other person; therefore, nobody should ever think of going against our will,” they asserted. This demonstration underscores the deep-rooted passions and concerns surrounding the election outcome in Kano State.