The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)-led government of Kano State against dragging the name of the chairman of the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in the State, Hon. Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, to disrepute because what it called the ruling party’s ‘apparent dismal defence performance at the Tribunal’.
The APC said the deliberate attempt by the Kano State government to allegedly malign the Tribunal chairman for fear of what could be possibly the final judgement, by creating a fictitious story and quoting her out context, amounted to disrespect for the judge and the judiciary in general.
A statement issued to journalists in Kano by the immediate-past Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs and spokesperson for Gawuna/Gari Campaign Council, Malam Muhammad 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, wondering why will the NNPP referred to the opposition party as the culprit in order to denigrate the APC.
He noted further that the Kano State government was also preempting the possible unreveling of the actual bribe giver by the tribunal and, therefore, wanted to malign the judge.
Garba also said that the made-up story, which ws contained in a statement issued by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, further indicated that the government was trying to vilify the Tribunal before the final judgement in order to attract sympathy from unsuspecting public in the event it is defeated.
The former commissioner pointed out that to also further confirm how perplexed the NNPP was, it filed an appeal while the Tribunal was still holding its proceedings, saying, however, that the action will not stop the election petition tribunal from going on with it’ sittings until it delivers final judgement.
He stated that even with an apparent sign of victory on its side, the APC has not and will never offer any bribe to anyone involved in the case considering that it has presented facts and figures to prosecute the matter before the Tribunal.
Garba observed that while the APC had presented all its witnesses during the proceedings of the Tribunal who have been successfully cross examined, the NNPP government, he added, has failed to present any tangible witness to defend its case.
The former commissioner averred 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 will eventually reclaim its “stolen mandate.”
