A group of youths, believed to be from the Northern part of the country, staged a protest in the Sagamu area of Ogun State on Tuesday, expressing their grievances over perceived injustice in the Kano State governorship election.
The demonstrators, predominantly commercial motorcyclists and teenagers, took to the streets to voice their concerns about the growing tension in Kano ahead of the Supreme Court judgment on the legal battle challenging Governor Abba Yusuf’s election.
The Supreme Court has scheduled Thursday for the hearing on the disputed election, following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Abuja to uphold the removal of Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party. The Court declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress as the duly elected governor.
The protesters, consisting of Northern youths residing in Sagamu, urged caution in handling the governorship crisis to prevent bloodshed. Carrying placards with various inscriptions, they emphasized the potential consequences of violence in Kano spreading to the South.
Inscriptions on their placards included messages such as ‘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 reporters, Nasir Sarkin, one of the protesters and an indigene of Kano, expressed their concern about the situation in Kano State. “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,” he said.
Sarkin called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent potential mayhem in Kano. Another protester, Tijani Jubril, appealed to the judiciary to validate Yusuf’s mandate as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the March 18 election.
The demonstration underscores the heightened tensions surrounding the Kano State governorship election and the broader implications perceived by these Northern youths, urging a peaceful and just resolution to avoid the escalation of violence.
