GPN Candidate Withdraws Petition Against Ganduje

The governorship candidate of Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) Abdulkarim Abdussalam has withdrawn his petition against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

In an eight paragraph statement, dated May 17th, counsel to Mr. Abdussalam, Ibrahim Sa’ad said the petition was withdrawn to allow peace reign in Kano state.

He cited Section 1 (a) and (b) of Electoral Act to withdraw the petition.

Mr. Abdussalam had earlier filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the victory of Governor Ganduje in the last governorship election.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Muhammad granted the request of Mr. Abdussalam’s counsel and struck out the petition.

With this development, the tribunal has only one governorship case between PDP candidate, Abba Kabir-Yusuf and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to deal with.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Kano State Election Tribunal, Justice Halima Mohammed, on Wednesday, warned journalists covering the tribunal that she will treat any form of misreporting with contempt.

According to her, as the fourth Estate of the Realm, Journalists should aspire for balanced report.

At the inaugural sitting of the governorship Election Petition Tribunal at the Kano state high court complex, Kano, Justice Mohammed, assured a level playing ground to all political parties to present their case before the tribunal.

Similarly, she warned that the tribunal will not tolerate the use of technicalities from counsels to stultify speedy dispensation of justice.

“To the members of the fourth Estate of the realm, we expect balanced reporting, where necessary, as any form of misreporting, which has the tendency of heating up the polity, will be interpreted, as a tacit hovering within the precinct of contempt.

“Election petition being sui generis (that is being time bound) and guided by its own peculiar rules of procedures, unlike the regular cases, the tribunal shall therefore not tolerate the employment of technicalities to stultify speedy dispensation of justice, as we do not intend to be caught up in the web of expired petition, due to effusion of time,” she said.

Also, Justice Muhammad, called on the Kano state Attorney- General and Commissioner of Justice, Ibrahim Mukhtar to use his office to guide the bar to adhere to the ethics of the profession.

She added that the tribunal expects the state Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to also partner, with the Attorney General to ensure decorum and good conduct of counsels during court proceedings.

“To the police, DSS and other paramilitary agencies, involved in the provision of security for the tribunal, we expect that you be on the alert and exercise due diligence in the execution of your duties.

“To the members of the political parties, the tribunal having guaranteed a level playing ground, we do not expect anyone to heat up the polity by doing acts that may be inimical to the security of the tribunal and its members,” Justice Muhammad warned.”

On his part, the Chairman of Kano branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Musa Lawan, assured of maximum support and cooperation of counsels to the tribunal.

Furthermore, she advised other counsels to work, with the tribunal and avoid any act that will derail or delay the administration of justice.

In his remarks the Kano state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ibrahim Mukhtar, assured of a secured environment to the tribunal during and after the session.

He promised that the tribunal will strengthen the security and democratic system in Kano state by providing opportunity to parties to present their grievances, which emanated from the last gubernatorial election.

He said the composition of the tribunal, consisting of two female judges will serve, as an inspiration to large number of female lawyers in Kano, that with hard work, sky is their limit.