Don’t drag Kano tribunal to disrepute, APC warns NNPP govt,
By Aminu Garko
APC
Kano, The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) government in Kano State against dragging the name of the chairman of the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Hon. Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge to disrepute because of its apparent dismal defence performance at the tribunal.
The APC said the deliberate attempt by the Kano State Government to malign the tribunal chairman for fear of what could be possibly the final judgement, by creating a fictitious story and quoting her out of context, amounts to disrespect for the judge and the judiciary in general.
This is contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano by the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs of the State and spokesperson for Gawuna/Garo Campaign Council, Malam Muhammad Garba.
Garba stated that when Hon. Justice Azinge made the revelation on the alleged attempt to bribe a member of the tribunal by a senior lawyer, she never named any particular party, but just to denigrate the APC, the NNPP government referred to the APC as the bribe giver.
He noted further that the Kano State government is also pre-empting the possible unraveling of the actual bribe giver by the tribunal and therefore wanted to malign the judge.
The commissioner also said that the made-up story, which is contained in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, further indicated that the government was trying to vilify the tribunal before the judgement so that it would draw sympathy from unsuspecting members of the public in the event it is defeated.
The former commissioner pointed out that to also further confirm how perplexed they are, they filed an appeal while the tribunal was still holding its proceedings, saying however that their action would not stop the election petition tribunal from going on with its sittings until it delivered final judgement.
He stated that even with an apparent sign of victory on its side, the APC had not and would never offer any bribe to anyone involved in the case considering that it had presented facts and figures to prosecute the matter before the tribunal.
Garba observed that while the APC had presented all it’s witnesses during the proceedings of the tribunal who had been successfully cross examined, the NNPP government, he added, had failed to present any tangible witness to depend its case.
He said that the action of the Kano State Government was nothing but gimmickry and an attempt to also disparage the APC.
While reaffirming its commitment to patiently continue seeking legal redress in the case, the APC, he said, was confident it would eventually reclaim its stolen mandate.
