Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said all his political travails which include his losses at both the Elections Petition Tribunal and most recently at the Court of Appeal are targeted attacks against his political godfather, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Yusuf spoke at length for the first time since the appellate court affirmed the judgment of the tribunal that sacked him late on Sunday during a stakeholders meeting of the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano.
The meeting, which was held at the instance of Kwankwaso, also had in attendance the state deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam, Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Ismail Falgore; federal lawmaker for Kiru/Bebeji constituency, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, leaders of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Kano State cabinet members and top government officials.
“Like it was explained, we are going to continue working under his (Kwankwaso) guidance and leadership to do the needful, God willing. But we must appreciate him (Kwankwaso) and be immensely grateful to him and we have to tell him that we are really proud of him.
“Even if the world says they are not going to give us anything because of his (Kwankwaso) vision, we are not going to turn our back on him and his vision,” he said.
Yusuf, while charging the party leaders not to lose hope, urged them not to exchange bitter words with anyone but to channel their energy to motivating Kano people.
He also promised continue to with all the people-centred projects he has started, including assisting women and children and the settlement of pensions and gratuity.
In another development, the NNPP has raised an alarm, saying the non-release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Kano judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal on Friday can affect its chances of restoring the mandate of Governor Yusuf.
Yusuf had, after the Friday judgement, vowed to seek further redress at the Supreme Court, urging his supporters not to lose hope in the judiciary.
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But four days later, the national leadership of his party raised the alarm that its legal team had been unable to get the CTC of the judgement needed to commence the process of filing an appeal before the apex court.
Abba Kawu Ali, the party’s acting national chairman, said in a statement on Monday that the situation was already eating into the 14 days the party has to file its appeal.
“Unfortunately, this type of scenario is creating the belief (rightly or wrongly) that there are deliberate efforts in place to frustrate the party and the Governor of Kano State, His Excellency, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, as well as the legal team in their quest to get justice in the Kano State governorship petition as they head for the Supreme Court,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has warned against moves by some party supporters to stage violent protests in the state following the Appeal Court’s judgement on the state governorship dispute.
The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, who conveyed the warning through the public relations officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, warned that whoever attempted to disrupt the peace in the state would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He said there was credible information at the command’s disposal that some groups of political party supporters were using unconventional media platforms, mobilising people, and planning to hit the streets in protest over the Kano State Governorship Appeal Court’s verdict.
“The information revealed that the protesters intend to shut down the state in an action that may likely result in violence,” he said.
The police commissioner called on all residents to maintain calm and avoid any form of unlawful gathering, protest, or procession that may trigger violence.
Reacting, the APC State Secretary, Ibrahim Zakari Sarina, and the Deputy Chairman, South, NNPP, Ibrahim Daho, told the police that they remain committed to the peace accord they signed and have directed their members to be law-abiding.
