Supreme Court Decision: Tension In Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto

Ahead of the Monday judgment of the Supreme Court on the governorship election petitions concerning Bauchi, Sokoto and Kano States, there was exacerbated tension in all three states.

In Bauchi and Sokoto States partisans of the contending parties resorted to prayers in mosques. In Kano the tension arose following insinuations that the case in the state was similar to that of Imo with apprehension that a similar judgment could be brought to bear.

In Bauchi State, the former governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is challenging the emergence of Senator Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as governor.

In Sokoto State the APC candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu is challenging the return of Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the PDP as governor while in Kano State, Abba Yusuf of the PDP is challenging the return of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC for a second term.

All three incumbent governors were returned by the election tribunals at the state and Court of Appeal.

The level of anxiety, as well as optimism by both sides in all three states has led to prayers in mosques with supplications for positive news by the various parties.

Alhaji Uba Nana, Chairman of the APC in Bauchi State, told NAN that his party had embarked on a prayer session ahead of the Supreme Court verdict.

Nana, who reserved all comments till after the judgment, said the party was hoping for a successful outcome at the apex court.

“We are reserving our comments until after the verdict on Monday; we have nothing much to say but I can tell you that we are very prayerful now.

“We are in prayers and hoping for a successful outcome at the Supreme Court on Monday,” Nana said.

Alhaji Yayanuwa Zainabari, Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, also told NAN that his party had absolute trust in the Supreme Court and believed that justice would not only be done but would be seen to have been done.

“As it is now, the judiciary is the only hope of upholding the mandate given to Gov. Bala Mohammad by the people of Bauchi State.

“We have trust that the court would do justice in delivering its judgment; we have no fear at all and just as we won the election without rigging, by God’s grace, we will have cause to celebrate,” he said.

A member of one of the parties who pleaded for anonymous told NAN that in an event of their loss at the apex court, he and others had decided to leave Bauchi.

“The tension is so palpable and expectations for success, very high; we cannot withstand losing out because the embarrassment will be enormous; we will rather leave in an event of a failure at the Supreme Court,” he vowed.

Meanwhile, NAN checks revealed that some politicians in the state had resorted to spending their nights in the mosque, praying for their parties to get victory at the apex court.

The governor is now in the United Kingdom on medical checkups, according to an earlier statement by his Media Aide, Muktar Gidado.

Also speaking to NAN, DSP Kamal Abubakar, the state’s Police Public Relations Officers, assured that the command was on top of the situation as it had taken adequate measure to ensure that there was no break-down of law and order after the verdict.

He said security men in all strategic locations within the state had been placed on the alert, adding that the command had also invited stakeholders of both parties for dialogue.

He said that members of the two parties had been barred from any form of celebration after the judgment to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

Kamal called on the people of the state to accept whatever the judgment would be as the will of God.

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