Former Kano State Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Alhaji Ilyasu Musa Kwankwaso, has advised Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Mr. Peter Obi, the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP), to reconsider their plans to take their case to the Supreme Court, as it may ultimately prove futile.
Kwankwaso offered this counsel in response to the recent ruling by the National/State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kano, which favored him as the winner of the Madobi, Kiru, and Garun-Malam House of Representatives.
The tribunal had nullified the election of Yusuf Umar Datti of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), citing his failure to resign from Bayero University, Kano, 30 days prior to the election. Consequently, they ordered INEC to set aside Datti’s certificate of return and declare Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso as the election winner.
While addressing the Presidential Election Tribunal’s ruling, Kwankwaso encouraged Atiku and Obi to display sportsmanship by accepting defeat and supporting the elected President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his efforts to advance the nation.
Kwankwaso stressed that Atiku and Obi have the constitutional right to seek legal recourse, but given the tribunal’s judgment, he suggested that their arguments may not have strong grounds.
He expressed gratitude for the tribunal’s decision in his favor, thanked his constituents for their support, and praised the judiciary as the last refuge for the common man.
Kwankwaso, who contested on the APC platform, hails from the same local government as Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former presidential candidate of NNPP. He is considered a significant political figure in Kano and has served as a commissioner during the administration of former Governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.
