‘Review Kano governorship case’ — Kwankwaso asks S’Court

A former senator, Rabiu Kwankwaso has asked the supreme court to review the governorship case of Kano state.

In its ruling last month, the apex court had upheld the victory of Abdullahi Ganduje, governor candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 election.

Abba Yusuf, Ganduje’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, had asked the court to annul Ganduje’s victory but lost from the tribunal up to the supreme court.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of the state, who is the PDP leader in Kano, led some members of the party from the state to the national secretariat of the opposition party, asking the leadership of the PDP to support the call for a review of Kano governorship election.

Ibrahim Adam, media aide to Yusuf, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

He said Kwankwaso appealed to the national working committee to facilitate the process of the supreme court’s review on the Kano election case.

He lamented that Kano people were “robbed of their mandate through voter disenfranchisement and manipulation of judicial processes”.

Responding, Uche Secondus, national chairman of the PDP, who was represented by Suleiman Nazif, his deputy, said the party has taken Kano as the major support base in northern Nigeria and will do everything within the confines of law to protect the its interests in the state.

Nazif applauded Kwankwaso for his “tenacity” in leading the party to victory in the 2019 governorship election.

He, however, complained about the “injustice meted out” to Kano people during the rerun election and the way PDP was “sabotaged of victory”.

“Your Excellency, let me also use opportunity to thank you for your efforts in promoting education not only in Kano but northern Nigeria, we have seen for the first time how a private citizen who is not holding any political office supports the children of the poor to pursue the education,” Nazif said.

“Sir I will on behalf of the party thank you for sponsoring 370 students to study masters degrees in various universities abroad.

“I similarly appreciate our amiable governorship candidate in Kano state, Engr. Abba K Yusuf for becoming the most popular candidate in Northern Nigeria. Abba Gida Gida has become a prominent brand beyond Kano state which makes us proud.”

Earlier, Emeka Ihedioha, a member of the party, who was sacked as governor of Imo in January, asked the supreme court to review the case.

The apex court had declared Hope Uzodinma of the APC as the duly elected governor. The court has fixed March for the hearing of Ihedioha’s application.