From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A socio-political group, Stand Up Nigeria (SUN), has warned the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Kano state government to stop intimidating the judiciary and instead concentrate their energies in preparing for the 2027 governorship election in the next four years times.
The group handed the caution on Saturday at a press conference in Abuja, frowning at the recent attacks on the judiciary before and after the verdict by the Tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf in Kano state.
National Coordinator of the group, Patriot Sunday Attah, in his address applauded the Justices of the Kano state governorship election petition tribunal for delivering what he described as “a bold and sound judgement that declared Nasir Gawuna as the dully elected governor of the State.
Attah maintained that the judgement will serve as a deterrent to politicians who float electoral laws and make elections do or die affair.
“We had warn politicians severally to discourage their supporters from rigging and violence during elections as democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people,” he said.
“You don’t have to intimidate the judiciary or cause war because you loose an election. The tenure is four years after which a fresh elections would be conducted. You may prepare yourself to contest again instead of sponsoring people to blackmail highly respected Justices of the election petition tribunal and intimidate the Appeal Court Judges all in a bid to reverse a sound judgment already delivered.
“We understand that Kano has an international market which makes it the home to all Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe. Kano indigenes are also scattered in other States of the Federation without fear of molestation. No one has monopoly of violence.
“The Judges must be encourage and supported by all Nigerians as they deliver more critical judgements that would strengthen our democracy. The NNPP and it’s government must come out openly to retract its violent threat issued by its supporters including a Commissioner under Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“Here is a man ordinarily referred to as Honourable Commissioner, so, where is the Honourable? . It shows how deep the NNPP must have gone in term of intimidation of judicial officers in secret before it was made public.
“We believe that the intimidation and threat being mounted are targeted towards the Apeal Court judges in order to bully them. We urged our Justices of the Appeal Court not to scumble to their antic but always stand on the part of justice.
“We have offered to stand by the judiciary and help protect the institution once it continue to maintains the part of justice,” the group noted.
Recalling similar judgment in the case of Edo State election petition tribunal that nullified the election of Senator Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), winner, Attah said that; “we condenm the leadership of the NNPP who have being threatening the judges and general peace of Kano State.
“They are using its supporters to understand that, trying to intimidate the judiciary in order to force the Judges to their side would amount to miscarriage of justice,” the group noted, thanking President Bola Tinubu for providing enabling environment for the judiciary to operate without interference.