Youths of northern extraction, under the aegis of Northern Youths Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), have cautioned President Bola Tinubu against allowing his political allies or appointees to meddle in the electoral dispute in Kano State, warning of possible dire consequences.

The Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal had recently nullified the election of Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Yusuf Gawuna.

However, the governor had since indicated his intention to go on appeal.

In an open letter to the president yesterday, Acting President of the group, Dr. Ali Idris, and National Publicity Secretary, Adikwu Omale, said if the Nigerian democratic system should continue to operate on the basis of electoral injustice, undermining the best practices of democratic governance in fairness to all parties, the repercussions would surely be devastating.

The statement read: “We have received with dismay, information which alleged the involvement of some elements in your Government, to have interfered and manipulated the Kano State Governorship Elections Tribunal judgment, an information which if it turns out to be true, could certainly be described as unfortunate, unprecedented, condemnable and uncalled for.

“Kano State, as temperamental as it is, such desperate actions could trigger political crisis in the state, and possibly lead to anarchy.

“Kano is considered as the commercial nerve center not only for the North, but also the entire sub- Saharan African countries, which have one relationship or the other with Kano State.

”Kano State could be described as a role model, and as the most politically strategic territory with vast knowledge and political civilization.

”In view of this, Kano is fragile and when broken into pieces, national security would surely be threatened.

“Sir, let us take you down memory lane, starting from 1999 to 2007, when you served as the executive governor of Lagos State, under Alliance for Democracy, AD. Your party was entirely different from the party at the centre, and despite some misunderstandings, President Olusegun Obasanjo-led federal government did not make any attempt to snatch the mandate which the good people of Lagos State gave you, to manage the affairs of the state from 1999 to 2007.

“Therefore, allowing,some alleged members of your government to mastermind the conspiracy of snatching the mandate of Kano people is as good as inviting hatred against your own personality, doubting your commitment to upholding democratic principles, institutionalizing electoral injustice, dashing the hope of the Nigerian electorate to lose complete confidence in the system, and subscribing to the school of thought which emphasizes the unsuitability of the democratic system for African countries.

“In addition, if this electoral injustice is allowed to thrive, it would further reaffirm the failure of your government to uphold the rule of law, and treat all citizens equally and fairly regardless of ethnicity, region, religion, party affiliation and others, and the perceived situation wouldn’t only amount to creating unrest, but also surely be a setback on Nigeria’s democratisation and Africa as a whole.

“The perceived conspiracy by some alleged elements in the government, deploying government machineries and influence to destroy Kano State, the consequences would not end and stop in Kano, as the repercussions would certainly create a multiplier negative effects on other states of the federation. ”Using politics to ignite crisis in Kano, through the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, would surely metamorphose into creating crisis which would be difficult to control, based on the brewing tensions, resulting from the Kano State Governorship Elections Tribunal Judgment.

”Therefore, there is no better time for you to act, than now to save the situation, by prevailing on your party members who have been alleged to be involved in this political recklessness, as the risk is not worth trying.” (Vanguard)

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