|
Yobe 2007: Matters Arising By Kawu Alkali Abdulsalam Please permit me a space in our reputable and widely read newspaper to write on the above heading. I wish to start by reacting to an earlier piece of publication tittled " Yobe Guber Race: Who Was The Real Candidate?", in the LEADERSHIP edition of 25th October, 2007 page 6, written by Bala Shehu Musa Bulama. However, let me from the beginning say that my reaction is an attempt to give an answer to the TITTLE not the CONTENT of the article. Bala Bulama did very well in the said article, he made me to remember, reflect and also cast my mind on one of the IWU's WONDERS of the April 2007 general elections. On the surface, Bulama discussed the issue of Yobe politics and commented on the injustice done to Senator Usman Albishir in particular and by extension the people of Yobe State in general. He sighted references where such similar cases have gone through the legal processes and landmark judicial decisions had been passed on them. Because the issue is pending both before the Appeal Court, Election Tribunal in Jos and the Supreme Court in Abuja respectively, and in an effort to exercise restraint, just as Mal Bulama has advised, and rest my hope on the Judicial processes and allow justice to take its cause, it is very imperative to express my total confidence in the Judiciary under the watchful eyes of the Chief Justice of the Federation Justice I. L. Kutigi. With the recent judicial pronuncements and Judgemets given across the country in election matters and other civil and criminal cases in courts, the Judges have demonstrated that, indeed the judiciary is the only hope for the common man. It is on record that Senator Usman Albishir emerged victorious over Senator Mamman Ali at the Yobe State ANPP Gubernatorial Primary Election, after Mamman Ali has refused to tow the State Party's resolve for feilding a conscessus candidate. Senator Albishir won 388 votes while Mamman Ali got only 82 votes mainly from his zone. In a controversial circumstances Usman Albishir's name was replaced with that of Mamman Ali. This was done by some party leaders who were not confortable with the fact that Albishir will be flying thhe Party's flag for the 2007 Yobe State governorship election. Anyway this is a topic for another day. In his effort to ensure the party marched to victory at the polls, Albishir was not pertubed wioth the happennings, he continued his campaigns vigorously and also resolved to challenge his replacement in court.I could vividly remember that, the party at a time wrote to INEC in an attempt to correct the irregularity, in the letter the party directed the Commission to put Usman Albishir's name back, only to be told by IWU's electoral body that, the commission is constrained by a section of an electoral act and so it could not effect the changes because the period for replacement was over. Usman Albishir went tothe court and challenged his substitution at the Federal High Court in Kaduna. The Federal High Court under the leadership of Justice Liman declared in its judgement that, Albishir's replacement was null and void and that ANPP and INEC should immediately put his name back on the ballot papers and list of candidates for election in Yobe State. This is because his rep[lacement violated section 34(21) of the electoral act 2006, which requires parties to give cogent and verifiable reasons for substitution of any candidate. Disgustingly, theelectoral body became adamant and in what could be termed as contempt of court, IWU's INEC went ahead and conducted the election without obeying the court order.Subsequently and armed with the said order, Albishir got the locus standi to institute a case and challenged the injustice before the electoral tribunal in Damaturu. However, Mamman Ali also appealed the Kaduna Judgement and in his favour the justices at the Appeal Court declare. And with the judgement of the Appeal Court before the tribunal, the panel strike out the case instituted by Senator Albishir against the Sitting-in Governor. Albishir appealed the tribunal judgement tothe Appeal Court of Tribunal in Jos and also appealed the jugement of the court of appeal to the Supreme Court in Abuja. We the people of Yobe sState have been short changed by the IWU's INEC and other disgruntled and corrupt party officials in Abuja. But we have very much confidence in the judiciary. That the rule of law will at the end of the day be allowed to prevail. What we are now praying and waiting is for justice to be done and also seen to be done by the Supreme Court in the case before them, so that the good people of Yobe State will reclaim their stolen mandate. I could recall a statement made by Senator Usman Albishir some days to the election in one of the forieng Hausa service stations saying"We are ANPP and we have no other party but ANPP, our people should go and vote for ANPP, anybody who voted for the ANPP, casts his/her vote for me God's willing". It should also be note that, Senator Mamman Ali did not win the Party primary election which was an important prerequisite, he was again illegally presented for election by INEC, and a Feral High Court Order was obtained setting aside the unconstitutional process. Albishir's case is very synonymous to that of Ararume in Imo State and the recent celebrated judgement given by the highest Court of the land with regards to the gubernatorial elections in Rivers State. Mamman Ali should start counting his days as the Sitting-in Governaor of Yobe State and also set the records straight as the judgement day draws nearer. As we await the final pronuncement by the Supreme Court to determine who is legally and constitutionally supposed to be in Yobe State Government House. Kawu Alkali Abdulsalam |