NNPP chieftain congratulates Kano Reps member, Zakari over victory at appeal court

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo has congratulated House of Representatives member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, Kano state, Umar Mukhtari Zakari of the NNPP for his victory at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Saturday.

He described the victory as the restoration of the wishes of the people.

This is as he also assured the Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf that the Court of Appeal will also do justice in his case and would upturn the judgement on the Kano state Governorship Election Tribunal that nullified his election.

Court of Appeal in Abuja on Saturday set aside the judgment by the National and State Houses of Assembly Tribunal in Kano which voided the election of Umar Mukhtari Zakari of the NNPP for Tarauni Federal Constituency, Kano state.

A three-member of the court, in a judgment upheld the arguments by lawyer to Zakari and the NNPP, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) that the tribunal erred in law in reaching its decision.

In the lead judgment by Justice Obande Ogbuinya, the Court of Appeal held that the tribunal was wrong to have concluded that Zakari forged his credentials when the petitioners failed to establish their claim to that effect.

Zakari was declared winner of the election held on February 25, which Ibrahim Hafiz Kawu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged with a petition dated March 17, 2023.

The petitioners had claimed that Zakari purportedly forged the Housawa Special Primary School certificate which he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because the name on it was simply “Muktar Umar.”

The Court of Appeal, in its judgment on Saturday, held that the respondents, who were petitioners at the tribunal, failed to prove that Zakari was not the same person who attended the school and was awarded the certificate and therefore set aside the judgment of the tribunal, allowed the appeal and affirmed Zakari’s election.

Oguntoyinbo in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, described Zakari’s victory as the restoration of people’s wish.

He said this victory has reinforced the belief that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man, saying the Court has restored the hope of the people of Tarauni Federal Constituency who went out in February to elect Zakari as their representative in the National Assembly.

He congratulated Zakari and urged him to, in the next four years do his best to enrich Nigeria’s constitutional development, provides good representation for the people of Tarauni and also carried out the lofty ideals of NNPP.

The NNPP governorship candidate in Ogun state in 2023, also assured the Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf that he will also has his mandate restored at the Court of Appeal.

He said the Kano state Governorship Election Tribunal’s judgement which upturned Yusuf’s victory is nothing but a miscarriage of Justice.

According to him, “The judgement is a huge joke. Abba Yusuf was given the mandate to govern Kano state by the people of Kano state willingly and it is only the people that can withdraw such mandate from him. The will of people will prevail at the end of the day.

“Our party, the NNPP has about 26 members in the House of Assembly while APC has 14. Their elections were conducted on the same day with the governorship election. The party won in almost all the local government areas of the state. So where has the Tribunal’s derived the victory it gives the APC Candidate”?, Ajadi queried

He called on Yusuf , the people of Kano and Nigerians in general to remain calm and be law abiding saying the judgement will be reversed at the Court of Appeal.

He called on Governor Abba Yusuf to be calm and continue with his good works, saying the people of Kano State are solidly behind him.

The NNPP chieftain said that the party is not disturbed by the judgement because according to him, ”everybody is aware that NNPP is the leading political party in Kano and that the judgement is temporary”.

He equally expressed his unalloyed support and respect to the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and praised him for the mature way he has been piloting the affairs of the party.