- Adewale Ajayi
There is palpable fear and anxiety in Kano and Plateau States, over what will be the outcome of Supreme Court ruling tomorrow on which of the contending political parties and their Candidate will be declared the winner of the governorship poll held March 2023.
The Supreme Court has fixed January 12,2 2024 to give ruling on the two governorship seats.
Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP was declared winner of the governorship election held last year and was sworn in as the governor of the State,but Nasir Gawuna, the All Progressives Congress APC is challenging his victory on the ground that the election that brought him in as the governor of the State was manipulated,and that he was never a member of the NNPP when he stood for election, so he was not properly nominated.
In Plateau State the APC and its governorship candidate Nentawe Goshwe are challenged the victory of Caleb Mutfwang ,the governor of the state who is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The fear is that supporters of the contending political parties are desperate of the Supreme Court ruling to being in their favour,and they stop at nothing in ensuring the ruling goes in their favour, as supporters of the political parties have resorted to prayers, making animal sacrifices, while the members of the local branch of APC were reported to have bought dresses to wear to celebrate their victory.
The major concern of political pundits are the volability of the two states, as the atmosphere is already charged and anything can trigger the tensed situation.
Looking at issues on ground it is either the apex court rules that Governor Yusuf of Kano should continue to be governor on the merit of his appeal or he is asked to pack and go and allow his APC opponent in the 2023 polls Gawuna, to be sworn in.
Either way the pendulum swings, the city, known as the commercial nerve centre of the North, should not burn.
For Plateau State at the moment, there is enough on their plates and they can ill afford to accommodate anything extra or else the plateau collapses completely. Of course, Mutfwang, the governor, has quite a large following. Since his election and swearing in, he has continued to be seen as the leader of his people.
According to report, “ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, the Nigerian ruling party at the centre and in most states of the federation, the APC, is reported to be so hopeful of victory that its local chapters have started distributing celebration dresses to members in Kano. Their expectation may not be unfounded: Governor Yusuf has been dismissed twice at both the Kano State Elections Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal.”