A notable gathering of senior figures from the New Nigeria People’s Party-led (NNPP) Kano state government and key members of the principal opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), converged at the Kano State High Court for a crucial session of the governorship election petition tribunal.
The tribunal had previously adjourned its proceedings to Monday to facilitate the final written address adoption in the case brought forward by the APC, contesting Governor Kabir Yusuf’s electoral triumph.
However, during last week’s session of Panel 1 at the Kano National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, the panel’s chairperson, sounded an alert concerning a concerning situation.
She revealed that lawyers with cases before the panel were attempting to sway her and her fellow panel members’ judgments.
This revelation sparked a series of accusations and counter-accusations between the involved parties.
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The Kano state government indirectly implied that the APC was responsible for the alleged bribery and pointed fingers to 2019 as its precedent, while the APC countered that the NNPP-led government was trying to influence the judiciary due to purported weak defense of its case, saying they had no reason to bribe a judge, since they are winning.
Responding to the matter, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) besieged the judge to uncover the identities of those behind the alleged bribery attempts.
In the latest development, as the governorship elections petition tribunal resumed its session on Monday, high-ranking government officials, including Baffa Bichi, the Secretary to the State Government, and Shehu Wada Sagagi, the Chief of Staff to the governor, were present. Also in attendance were various commissioners and key aides to the state governor.
Leaders of the APC, including the party’s secretary, Zakari Sarina, and its publicity secretary, Muhammad Aruwa, were also spotted at the tribunal.
As of the time of reporting, the court’s premises were cordoned off by police officers, adding a layer of heightened anticipation to the proceedings.
