Suspected youths from the Northern region staged a protest on Tuesday in Sagamu, Ogun State, expressing their grievances over what they perceive as injustice in the Kano State governorship election. The protesters, largely composed of commercial motorcyclists and teenagers, took to the streets to voice their concerns about the escalating tension in Kano ahead of the Supreme Court judgment on the legal battle challenging Governor Abba Yusuf’s election.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the disputed election case on Thursday. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had previously upheld the removal of Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, declaring Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress as the duly elected governor.
The Northern youths residing in Sagamu urged caution in handling the governorship crisis to prevent potential bloodshed. Holding placards with various inscriptions, they called for justice in Kano and expressed fears that violence in the disputed poll could spread to the South.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read, ‘Avoid bloodshed! Ensure justice for Kano,’ ‘Safe today but tomorrow,’ ‘We are behind our mandate,’ and ‘We are safe in the South but injustice in Kano may spread violence,’ among others.
Speaking to the media, Nasir Sarkin, one of the protesters and an indigene of Kano, voiced concern about the situation in Kano State. He stated, “The people of Kano State voted for Governor Abba Yusuf, and some people are there plotting against the mandate. We are here to protest and demand justice in Kano and justice for Governor Abba Yusuf.”
Sarkin called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene to prevent potential unrest in Kano. Another protester, Tijani Jubril, urged the judiciary to validate Yusuf’s mandate, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the March 18 election. The demonstration underscores the anxieties surrounding the impending Supreme Court judgment and the potential ramifications for peace and stability in Kano and beyond.
