over 200 private legal practitioners from the 19 Northern states have rallied together under the banner of the “Abba Kabir Yusuf Volunteer Lawyers Forum For The 19 – Northern States And Abuja” to assist Governor Kabir Yusuf of Kano State in his gubernatorial election appeal case at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
During a press briefing held at Arewa House in Kaduna on Sunday, the spokesperson for the lawyers, Yusuf Ibrahim, passionately appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Supreme Court to ensure that Nigeria does not veer towards becoming a one-party state, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy democratic practice.
Expressing their concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Nigeria, the legal practitioners insisted on the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law to ensure that every Nigerian’s vote is counted during elections.
Mr. Ibrahim stated, “We volunteer as private legal practitioners to participate in the litigation in solidarity with Governor Yusuf at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. We want to represent the truth in the fight to reclaim his mandate and that of the people of Kano State.”
The lawyers voiced their dissatisfaction with the Appeal Court judgment favoring the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a clear miscarriage of justice.
In addition to supporting Governor Yusuf, the group also called for a comprehensive overhaul of the Electoral Act. Mr. Ibrahim emphasized, “It is pertinent to state here that the Electoral Act needs a holistic reworking to address these anomalies of our judicial system and democracy if we must save it.”
Highlighting their stance on pre-election matters, the lawyers argued that once a winner has been declared in an election, related issues should no longer be litigable. They suggested that in cases of dispute, re-run elections should be ordered in the affected areas to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
The legal practitioners cautioned against a trend that could diminish the significance of open balloting and casting votes by the general electorate. They expressed concerns that allowing such a trend to continue unchecked could lead to a situation where those familiar with the intricacies of electoral rules would dominate the political landscape.
In their final appeal, the lawyers called on the Supreme Court to resist external interference, safeguard the judiciary’s image, and uphold the rule of law in the interest of a robust and fair democratic system.
