As part of the country’s 63rd Independence celebration, Nigerians in the diaspora stormed the High Commission in London on Sunday in protest of the Kano governorship election petitions tribunal’s judgment and demand a fair trial.
The placard-carrying Nigerians protested the alleged interference of the All Progressive Congress (APC) under the chairmanship of Abdullahi Ganduje at the tribunal.
The protesters waved different placards to drive home their demands for an impartial and apolitical justice system that would be fair to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) government in Kano State.
The placard-carrying protesters converged on the Nigerian embassy in London to demand justice and fairness from the APC.
Some of the messages contained in the placards read: ‘The Independence of a country depends on the Independence of its judiciary’, ‘Kano must not be robbed, Tinubu should allow Justice to prevail in Kano’, and Kano People’s Mandate Must be Allowed, No More Unjust Rulings: Abba’s Mandate must not be stolen’.
Others read: ‘Election Tribunals Must Be Just and Fair—the Kano case must not be an exception’, ‘Keep Politics Out of Our Courts—the Kano Election Tribunal was compromised!’, ‘Tribunal neutrality is non-negotiable. Kano people deserve justice, not politics’, and ‘Defend democracy and demand fair tribunals. Kano people deserve justice’.
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The convener of the protest, Dr Aminu Bello, told journalists at the event that they were at Nigeria’s embassy in London to protest the recent judgment delivered by the Kano State Election Tribunal concerning the 2023 election.
The judgment has raised some concerns about its fairness.
According to Bello, the 2023 elections were a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s history, a time when Nigerians from all walks of life came together to exercise their democratic rights and choose their leaders.
He argued that the recent development in Kano State had cast a shadow of doubt over these fundamental democratic principles.
The protest convener noted that the judgment handed down by the Kano Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal left many Nigerians disheartened and concerned about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
“We want to emphasise a crucial point: it is only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that has the legal authority to cancel votes, not tribunal judges. The judiciary’s role is to interpret the law and ensure justice is served, not to alter the will of the people expressed at the ballot box,” he said.
“We firmly believe that justice must be blind and that the rule of law must prevail in all circumstances. The recent judgment has raised questions about whether justice has truly been served in this instance. We call upon all Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliation, to rise and fight for justice.”
According to Bello, democracy thrives on the diversity of political voices and the competition of ideas.
He added that Nigeria should never be reduced to a one-party system as the strength of its democracy lies in a vibrant multi-party system where all citizens have a fair chance to express their choices and aspirations.
The convener argued that the mandate given to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf by the Kano State people must be upheld and respected.
To this end, Bello called on civil society organisations, political parties, and the international community to closely monitor the situation in Kano State and ensure that justice was served, adding that the Kano votes must not be stolen.
“We urge all Nigerians to engage in peaceful, lawful, and constructive ways to demand transparency and accountability in the Kano State electoral tribunal case. We equally call upon civil society organizations, political parties, and the international community to closely monitor the situation in Kano State and ensure that justice is served, and the Kano votes must not be stolen.
“We also urge the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial review of the election tribunal’s judgment to ascertain its fairness and punish any judge who is found to be compromised,” he said.
