Supporters of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, gathered at Lekan Salami Sports Complex in Ibadan on Sunday for prayers and a peaceful protest, urging the maintenance of the status quo.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the tribunal’s judgment overturning Yusuf’s victory.
Protests erupted in Kano last week following reported discrepancies in the certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment sacking Yusuf. In Ibadan, Yusuf’s supporters took to the streets with placards bearing inscriptions like ‘Justice for Kano,’ ‘Kano Abba Muka Zaba,’ ‘Abba is our Choice,’ and ‘Kano voted for Abba.’
They warned the judiciary against actions that could ignite a crisis in Kano and other parts of the country.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Wildlife Preservation, Ahmad Sawaba, called on the Supreme Court to carefully examine the judgments and deliver justice.
Sawaba emphasized that the people of Kano State voted for Yusuf, not any other candidate, urging the judiciary to respect the electorate’s wishes.
He highlighted the discrepancy between the justices’ pronouncement in court and the certified true copy as evidence that something is amiss.
“The governor has been duly elected by the peace-loving people of Kano State; therefore, the judiciary should respect their votes.
We don’t want Kano State and any other parts of the country to be turned into a theatre of war. We are peace-loving people,” Sawaba stated.
He expressed confidence in the Supreme Court judges, urging them to justify the confidence reposed in them.
The Yoruba community in Kano had previously voiced fears of possible targeted attacks following protests linked to reported discrepancies in the appeal court judgment.