Protests Erupt In Kano Over Alleged Attempt To Bribe Election Tribunal

Despite a ban on protests in Kano State by the State Police Command, some protesters have taken to the streets to protest alleged attempts to bribe members of the Election Petition Tribunals in the State.

The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Usain Gumel, announced the ban on protests at the Command headquarters earlier on Monday.

According to him, intelligence reports revealed that both the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were mobilising for street protests against the Tribunal’s sitting.

He said, “Members of the public should therefore note that it has come to our knowledge that both the APC and the NNPP members are currently mobilizing rented crowd in the guise of Civil Society Coalition and without clearance from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and without prior approval from the security agencies in the state.”

Police officers had blocked all access to the court after warning “that any attempt to disrespect NLC and the Security Agencies in the state, by playing around the fragile security situation, which the combined security agencies have been managing, is not only uncivil, criminal but also an offense against National Security.”

Leaders of the main opposition (APC) and officials of the NNPP and Kano state government stormed the Kano State High Court where the State’s Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was having its session.

LEADERSHIP had earlier reported that the Kano State government raised alarm over an alleged plot to bribe members of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in the State.

Also, the APC warned the NNPP-led government 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 of what it called the ruling party’s ‘apparent dismal defence performance at the Tribunal’.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had also written to the Tribunal secretariat to seek for an audience with the judge with the aim of unmasking those allegedly making the bribery advances.

On Monday, at the hearing of the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal, government officials including the Secretary to the State Government, Baffa Bichi, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Shehu Wada Sagagi, and several Commissioners and top aides of the state governor were seen at the Tribunal.

Also, at the Tribunal were leaders of the opposition APC, including the secretary of the party, Zakari Sarina, and the publicity secretary of the party, Muhammad Aruwa.

As at the time of filing this report, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf was addressing the NNPP protesters with a promise to deliver their grievances to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.