NNPP

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. 

The tribunal had declared Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 18th, 2023 election, deducting over 165,000 votes from Yusuf’s tally due to alleged lack of proper endorsements on the ballot papers. 

In a notice of appeal filed by his lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Yusuf argues that the tribunal made a significant error in its analysis of the evidence presented by the APC. 

According to the appeal, the analysis conducted by the APC’s own witness only identified 1,886 ballots without proper endorsements, a stark contrast to the 165,616 deducted by the tribunal. 

The appeal argues that the tribunal erroneously deducted over 165,000 votes from Yusuf’s tally due to a misunderstanding of the evidence presented. 

It claims that the analysis conducted by the APC’s witness identified only 1,886 ballots lacking proper endorsements, significantly less than the number deducted. 

The appeal further clarifies that even among the ballots flagged, many had partial endorsements like signatures or stamps, not justifying their complete removal. 

The appeal emphasizes that all the disputed ballots carried official markings like the INEC logo, coat of arms, and serial numbers, confirming their legitimacy. 

Governor Yusuf’s legal team is confident that the Supreme Court will recognize the errors in the tribunal’s decision and restore his rightful victory.

The outcome of this appeal will have significant implications for the political landscape of Kano state and could set a precedent for future election disputes. 

The Supreme Court is yet to schedule a hearing for the appeal.

Both parties will present their arguments to the justices, who will then issue a final ruling on the matter.

By Rabi’u Gama

I almost spent a sleepless night reading the Court of Appeal’s judgement on the Kano State Governorship Election Petition. The 72-page document has raised many questions and generated mixed and confusing reactions among millions of people, particularly in Kano, immediately after its release to the public.

After a calm reading of the judgement, it is evident that there is a significant error in the conclusion of the lead judgement. The conclusion of the lead judgement, which “…resolve all the issues in favour of the Appellant (AKY) against the 1st Respondent” and “…set aside the judgement of the Tribunal” and finally “awarded the sum of one million Naira in favour of the Appellant against the 1st Respondent” is just a mistake; a grave mistake, though, in my opinion, not fatal or unpardonable.

If you read the judgement carefully, you will see that the reasoning of the court on the merit of the case was decisively against the Appellant (AKY) in favor of the 1st Respondent (Gawuna). The only error – a very grievous error – is with regard to the conclusion of the lead judgment. This becomes more obvious when you look at the fact that all the two concurring judgements found the appeal to be “bereft of merit” and also (just like the lead judgement) “…dismissed it and upheld the judgement of the Trial Tribunal”.

From the reasoning of the Court, that conclusion is just what it is: a slip of the pencil or a clerical error – so to speak – which can be, in fact, should be, waived aside with a single nod of the head. That mistake alone cannot reasonably change the preceding reasonings and findings of the court. The error is grave. Or was it a Freudian Slip? By the way, a Freudian Slip is an unintentional mistake that reveals a person’s subconscious thoughts, wishes, or desires.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, AKY lost this appeal. The mistake in the lead judgement’s conclusion (a slip of the pencil) will not change a thing. AKY should head to the Supreme Court, as he has already expressed his intention to do so. A clerical error like this should not deter a further appeal to the Apex Court of the land. Otherwise, there will be stories that will surely break and destroy many hearts.

However, there are many questions: how could such a serious mistake go unnoticed? Didn’t my Lord re-read the judgement after drafting it for grammatical corrections and possible typographical errors? In their concurring judgements, the two other Justices on the panel said: “They have read the lead judgement in draft (as it is customary for fellow judges to do) and adopted all the reasonings and the conclusion therein as theirs?”. Does that mean they, too, did not see that serious mistake while “reading the judgement in [the] draft”? What about the Registrar of the Court? Didn’t he also see the mistake before releasing the Certified Copy of the judgment to the world? So many questions to ask.

Rabiu Gama is a student from the Faculty of Law at Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached via rabiuminuwa327@gmail.com.

By  Rabiu Gama

I had the (dis)pleasure of reading the full judgement of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal last night, which was delivered on Wednesday, October 20, 2023, via Zoom. Here are my humble thoughts on it.

By the way, I am writing this under the safe assumption that anyone who is reading this is quite familiar with the story behind the judgment. Nonetheless, clarity is important. So, for the sake of clarity, let me quickly state that APC is the Petitioner in this case, while INEC, Abba Kabir Yusuf (AKY) and NNPP are the First, Second and Third Respondents, respectively. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, APC’s candidate, was not a party in the suit. The Tribunal, relying on the provision of Section 133 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and some judicial authorities, held, correctly in my opinion, that Gawuna must not be a party before the Tribunal.

As I see it, NNPP’s and AKY’s lawyers did a bad job. INEC’s lawyers did worse, though: INEC’s legal team failed miserably to prove that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 (the burden or onus of proof was on them in that regard) as alleged by the Petitioner (the APC). The First Respondent, i.e., INEC, made a terrible and costly mistake of relying lazily on the weaknesses of the Petitioner’s case. The cost of not doing the right thing at the right time is always high!

Since the outcome of an appeal largely, if not completely so, hinges on the proceedings of the lower court (the Tribunal in this case), then it is my humble opinion that NNPP’s (AKY’s) chances of winning at the Court of Appeal might not be as promising as many hope it to be. It shocked me that NNPP’s lawyers could not even establish that AKY was a legitimate member of the party when he contested the 18^th of March Governorship Election. The Tribunal was benevolent enough to point out some ways that they could have followed to establish it, but they couldn’t.

I, however, failed to grasp or discern why the Tribunal refused to apply “the principle of margin of lead” when it went ahead to declare that APC’s candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, was the winner of the election even though it had already found and, in no uncertain terms, admitted that the number of cancellations was in hundreds of thousands while its final finding showed Nasiru Gawuna was leading with tens of thousands only. The Tribunal, in my humble opinion, should have ordered a re-run: based on that finding, the election was supposed to be declared “inconclusive”.

The Tribunal also seems to have disregarded the provision of Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 when it invalidated over 165,000 votes that were cast in favour of NNPP/AKY for the reason that the ballot papers were neither signed nor stamped, in other words, the ballot papers did not carry the official mark that was prescribed by the commission (INEC). The said provision of the Electoral Act is to the effect that even if a ballot paper is not signed or stamped, the Presiding Officer of the concerned Polling Unit can go ahead and count the ballot paper as valid.

All in all, I find some of the reasonings and conclusions of the Tribunal, based on what was laid before it, legally sound. But the Tribunal’s failure to apply “the principle of margin of lead”, as well as its apparent disregard for the provision of Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, do not sit well with me.

Even though it is trite that nobody knows for sure what a court of law will do, I will still strongly advise that AKY’s supporters (of which I am not ashamed to admit I am one) should manage their hopes regarding the chances of success in the Court of Appeal. This is because the odds seem frighteningly balanced. The scale might tilt in favour of any side.

The right thing to do right now is to pray for a “legal miracle” – whatever that means. Some miracle might happen, hopefully in the Court of Appeal, as the Supreme Court rarely tempers with the concurrent findings of the lower courts (the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal) unless those findings are glaringly perverse or have occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

Rabiu Gama is Law student. He writes from the Faculty of Law at Bayero University, Kano. He can be reached on 09061912994 or at rabiuinuwagama@gmail.com.

By Rukayya Abubakar Othman

In the last few years, Kano State has been plagued by a seemingly endless and unabated fierce political war that has divided the state and truncated its progress. The two principal political empires, the Kwankwasiyya and the Gandujiyya have polarised the people of Kano along two opposing camps, each calling for the head of the other.

It is difficult for any state or country to develop under an unstable and tumultuous political climate. Kano’s experience over the past years is a case in point. The incessant strife between the Kwankwasiyya adherents and the Ganduje’s followers has created a hostile environment for economic growth and social progress.

The recent election tribunal court verdict in Kano has further opened another dimension to the whole gamut of issues. The Kwankwasiyya adherents are questioning the true meaning and concept of independence of the Judiciary.

Will those who massively voted for NNPP accept the verdict of our courts in good faith? Will it further deepen confrontational politics in Kano? The answers to these questions can only be found in the upcoming Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court judgments.

More tellingly, the recent trend will no doubt tragically change the course of Kano politics. If the governorship polls in Kano are taken out of the general election, it will become like Imo, Edo, and Ondo states, where the governorship elections are held on different dates from the general election. This will have a multiplier effect on the political landscape of Kano, considering the central role that the state plays in the region.

The political leaders in Kano must put the state’s interests first and work together to resolve their differences. The people of Kano have suffered enough from the political instability in the state. It is time for politicians to put their differences aside and work for the good of the people.

Lastly, the recent court verdict in Kano has opened up a new dimension to the already turbulent political landscape of the state. It is difficult to predict the long-term impact of the ruling, but it will significantly impact the future of Kano politics.

The political leaders in Kano must put the state’s interests first and work together to resolve their differences. The people of Kano have suffered enough from the political instability in the state. It is time for politicians to put their differences aside and work for the good of the people.

Rukayya Abubakar Othman wrote via othmanrukayya0@gmail.com.

By Dr Yusuf Ya’u Gambo

Thirty-nine years ago, Dr Aliyu Isa Aliyu came into this world just a year after Late Governor Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi left office. With over a decade of work experience, Aliyu is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and the Deputy Director of the Research and Development Directorate at Federal University Dutse.

He was a research fellow at the School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, China, where he served as the assistant head of the research and development committee. He also worked as a part-time lecturer of mathematics at Kano State Polytechnic more than ten years ago. 

Aliyu’s dedication and high-impact works have earned him widespread recognition in the global mathematical community, which has seen him listed among the top 2 per cent researchers in the world by Standford University, USA, among the top 2 per cent Mathematicians in Africa in the AD Scientific Index 2022, and among the top peer reviewers in Mathematics by Publons Web of Science.

His research primarily focuses on fractional calculus and its applications, Solition Theory, computational science and engineering, symmetry analysis and conservation laws of differential equations.

Aliyu has an impressive track record of scholarly accomplishments, having won the National Natural Science Foundation of China research grant and authored numerous influential publications in prestigious mathematical journals that generate over 2,700 citations with an H-index of 33 and an i10-index of 71.

The research pundit is currently a reviewer of about 20 highly regarded international journals, including the well-known IEEE Access, Frontiers in Physics, Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, among others.

Aliyu has taught several courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has participated in various international conferences, some of which are the Computational Management Science Conference, Designing Health Care Appointment Systems using Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing Algorithm in Spain, International Conference of Mathematics and Mathematics Education- A Solution of Telegraph Equation by Natural Decomposition Method in Turkey, International Conference on Mathematical Modelling in Applied Sciences, Optimal system, nonlinear self-adjointness and conservation laws for generalised shallow water wave equation in Russia, among others.

Over the years, the Assistant Prof. has acquired technical skills in numerous mathematical and statistical software packages, including MATLAB, Mathematica, Maple, C++, LaTex, among others. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Firat University Turkey, an M.Sc. in Mathematics from Jordan University of Science and Technology Jordan, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from Bayero University Kano.

Aside from his academic pursuits, Dr Aliyu is actively involved in politics, showcasing his commitment to public service. He holds the esteemed position of Financial Secretary in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Kano State, advocating for policies that promote education, science, technology and youth inclusion. Additionally, he served as the Administrative Secretary in the 2023 Gubernatorial/Presidential campaign directorate of the NNPP Kano.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigerian President, Bola Ahmad Tinubu, has reportedly disclosed the names of nominees for the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

In a report credited to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the list of Tinubu’s ministers would be ready by Thursday, and it includes notable former governors and other distinguished Nigerians.

According to the report, immediate-past governors of Rivers, Kaduna, Osun, and Cross River States have been shortlisted as ministerial nominees. The nominees include Nyesom Wike, Nasir El-Rufai, Gboyega Oyetola, Ben Ayade, and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso from Kano, who is also the NNPP national leader.

Also in addition to the list of nominees to be presented on the floor of the Senate this Thursday morning are prominent individuals such as President Tinubu’s top aide, Dele Alake; Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; APC national woman leader, Dr Betty Edu; former Lagos State Commissioner for Budget Planning, Wale Edun; ex-Minister of State for Health, Prof. Ali Pate, and former Deputy Governor of CBN, Adebayo Adelabu from Oyo State.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The reservation of some slots to the opposition parties by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could be seen as a move afoot to get a better Nigeria which was one of the things his administration promised Nigerians since his victory.

The Daily Reality recalls that Tinubu promised to run an inclusive government that would thrust Nigeria into greatness.

Speaking as the president-elect in March, Tinubu said he was seeking a better country not just for himself and his supporters but for all Nigerian people, regardless of their political affiliations.

The Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, relayed the news about the slots reservation to journalists at a meeting of the forum in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that Tinubu reserved some appointments in the governing boards of agencies, parastatals, institutions and government-owned companies for members of the opposition Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Abdulrazaq stated that the President asked the governors to nominate competent persons to serve on the boards and parastatals of Federal Government agencies which were dissolved last month.

According to him, Mr Tinubu dissolved the boards last month, which left no fewer than 2,000 vacant positions expected to be occupied by new nominees.

He added that “Among the agencies are the North-East Development Commission with 12 vacant board slots, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission with seven board seats; Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, seven; Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, 21.

“Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, 12; National Universities Commission, 21 and Transmission Commission of Nigeria, 14; National Health Insurance Authority,12

“Others are the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, 7; Nigerian Meteorological Agency, seven; Nigerian College of Aviation Technology,8; Nigerian Police Trust Fund, 8; Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency,10; Federal Institute of Industrial Research, 11 and National Centre for Technology Management, 11 among others,” he stated.

By Abbas Datti

Our newly elected representative, Engineer Sagir Ibrahim Koki, promises to serve the people of the Kano Municipal constituency with integrity and dedication.

In a historic election victory, Engineer Sagir Ibrahim Koki has emerged as the newest member from Kano Municipal in the House of Representatives. Before his campaign, he promised to bring fresh perspectives and foster positive change within the esteemed legislative body. With the weight of public trust on his shoulders, Engineer Sagir steps into office, committed to serving the constituents and championing their interests.

Hailing from the Koki district of Kano State, he has already made waves with his dynamic campaign, installation of transformers, vocational training, distribution of JAMB forms, and rendering assistance to prospective NECO candidates, which resonated strongly with a diverse range of voters across the Municipal Local government area. The constituents were captivated by Engineer Sagir’s passion for public service, dedication to core issues, and vision for a brighter future.

Throughout his campaign, Eng Sagir has demonstrated an unwavering focus on crucial matters such as healthcare reform, economic revitalisation, education enhancement, and environmental sustainability. Drawing from a deep understanding of the challenges the Municipal Area Community faced, Sagir Koki outlined innovative policy proposals that garnered widespread acclaim and support.

As he assumes office, he is determined to turn those promises into tangible action. Eng Sagir’s primary objective is to represent the voices of his people, ensuring that their concerns are heard, amplified, and effectively addressed within the hallowed halls of the legislative chamber. Eng Ibrahim firmly believes that the foundation of a thriving democracy lies in empowering every citizen and working collectively towards progress.

One of Sagir’s key initiatives is bridging the gap between different political ideologies and fostering collaboration and compromise. By promoting bipartisan efforts, he aims to break down the barriers that have impeded progress in the past, seeking common ground to tackle pressing issues head-on.

Furthermore, Sagir Ibrahim understands the significance of transparency and accountability in public office. He has pledged to maintain open lines of communication with constituents, regularly hosting town hall meetings and actively seeking public input to shape his decision-making process. By being accessible, Sagir aims to establish a strong bond with his community, ensuring that their aspirations remain at the forefront of his legislative endeavours.

The road ahead of Sagir may be challenging, but his determination to serve with integrity, empathy, and dedication remains unshaken. He brings a wealth of experience, having worked tirelessly within the community as an advocate for positive change. Now, armed with the power of legislation, Sagir Koki is ready to effect lasting transformations that will profoundly impact the lives of the people of the Municipal he represents.

As the newest addition to the House of Representatives, Engineer embarks on a journey marked by hope, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the betterment of the people of the Municipal. Therefore, Municipal people are eagerly anticipating the positive changes that lie ahead, placing their trust in the capable hands of their newly elected representative.

Abbas Datti writes from Kano Municipal and can be reached via abbasdattibashir@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kano State Governor-elect, His Excellency, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has warned residents to stop any ongoing building in public places in the state.

The Govenor-elect also strongly cautioned that anyone who contravenes this warning is doing it at his or her own risk.

He made this warning in a statement Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa.

There have been popular outrages by the citizens in the state over the selling of some parts of schools and hospitals by Govenor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The statement read, “You are advised to discontinue any construction work on public land within and around the following: All schools in the State, all religious and cultural sites in the State, all hospitals in the State, all graveyards in the State, and along the city walls of Kano.

“You are also advised to discontinue the demolition of, and the construction on, all existing public buildings belonging to the government and people of Kano State.

This Advisory is issued in the public interest, effective from today Thursday 30th March, 2023 till further notice. Any contravener does so at his/her on risk, please,” the statement concluded.

By Muhammad Suleiman Yobe

The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Malam Aminu Ibrahim, has accused the All Progressive Congress APC of using money to buy the people’s votes.

Malam Aminu Ringim stated this shortly after casting his vote at the Marakawa 008 polling unit in Katutu Primary School in Ringim Local Government in Jigawa State.

Ringim alleges that APC representatives give people cards and money when voting for their party.

This came shortly after the police arrested a party representative, distributing cards and money to those who voted for the party.

“We witnessed how votes are buying in Jigawa state, and we are taken pictures of how things are going”, Ringim.

He also alleged that there was a polling unit where the presiding officer was taken away in a car.

“Now we are collecting information, and once we have completed it, we will take the appropriate action,” Ringim said.

He, therefore, called on the public to avoid selling their votes during this election.