The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano has advised supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) against “wild celebrations” after the governorship election petitions tribunal’ judgment on Wednesday.

“Supporters should resist the temptation of wild celebrations during and after tribunal judgement, especially with vehicles or causing any form of obstruction on the roads,” sector commander Ibrahim Sallau-Abdullahi said in a statement.

He added, “Wild celebrations can cause a breach of traffic rules and regulations and result in obstruction of highways, and road traffic crashes will not be allowed, as perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law.”

Mr Sallau-Abdullahi said FRSC officials and other security agencies would not condone reckless driving, route violation, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, indiscriminate parking, overloading, speeding and driving by underaged during and after the tribunal judgment.

Mr Sallau-Abdullahi advised motorists to adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations.

The tribunal is due to deliver judgment any moment now on the petition filed by the APC challenging the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP in the March 18 gubernatorial election.

The tribunal announced the judgment date in a notice issued to the lawyers representing parties to the case on Monday. The announcement came weeks after lawyers made their closing arguments on behalf of their clients on August 21.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that the NNPP polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat the APC with its candidate, Nasir Gawuna, who scored 890,705. The NNPP candidate thus won with a margin of 128,897 votes.

Displeased, the APC filed a petition at the tribunal to challenge the results declared by the electoral body.

The petition has received attention from within and outside the state, partly because it is a proxy war between rival political heavyweights in the state whose political tentacles extend to the national stage.

The petitioner prayed for nullification of the NNPP Governorship candidate on the ground that the governor was not a full and registered member of the NNPP before the election.

APC asked the tribunal to declare the APC candidate winner, having scored the highest votes. Alternatively, the tribunal should declare the gubernatorial election inconclusive because the lead margin is less than the votes cancelled.

The respondents have asked the tribunal to dismiss the APC petition for lacking merit.

NNPP insisted that all the arguments raised by APC are incompetent, null and void and fundamentally defective. The NNPP had argued that APC’s petition ought to be declared invalid in the first instance because no competent court has jurisdiction to rule on a petition where the primary contender (governorship candidate) was not joined. 

(NAN)