As Kano residents await the Supreme Court judgment on the Kano governorship election dispute, a former governor of the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has advised the New Nigeria People’s Party and the All Progressives Congress to accept the final verdict in good faith.
Shekarau gave the advice on Wednesday during an interview on Channels TV’s politics programme.
The former governor, who said he believes in the court process, noted that no amount of abuses, hatred and hate speeches could give or deny one power.
Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP and APC’s Nasir Gawuna have locked horns in legal battles since the governorship election in March last year.
The tribunal and Court of Appeal nullified Yusuf’s election and declared Gawuna the winner.
Yusuf went before the Supreme Court to seek a final verdict.
The PUNCH reports that the judgment of the Court of Appeal sacking Yusuf created tension and provoked protests in Kano, following reported discrepancies in the certified true copy of the judgment, which the court later said was a clerical error.
The Supreme Court on December 21 heard the appeal and reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to the parties.
Speaking ahead of the judgment, Shekarau said, “Anybody who has been following my own characteristics in politics knows that it is politics of peace and without bitterness. I see my political friends as friends and associates regardless of their political leaning.
“When it is the time to contest we go into the field and once the elections are held and the winner is declared, my attitude is that if you have any clear evidence of malpractice you can go civilised. And once the court pronounces its stand and you pursue it up to the last stage, once this is done the game is over; and we prepare for the next round of elections.
“There is one popular saying: Whoever is not prepared to lose is not a civilised candidate. No amount of certainty will give you a 100 per cent assurance. Once the voters decide, that is all. But it does not mean you will take any rubbish, if you have reasons you can go to court. We have been preaching this in Kano.
“Now they are in court over the Kano governorship election; we keep our fingers crossed. I am advising both parties, the NNPP and the APC, that once the Supreme Court decides, let (there) be peace and accept the outcome. And I am appealing to them that abuses, hatred and hate speeches will not give you or deny you power.”
