The Kano state government on Thursday, disagreed with the All Progressives Congress in the state over a protest that erupted following the ruling of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.
Protesters on Wednesday took to the streets after a Certified True Copy of the Court of Appeal judgment on the state governorship election went viral, showing a contradiction with the verdict of the judges, which sacked Governor Abba Yussuf.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Thursday, the state’s Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, stated the protest in the state was justified.
He said: “The protest is justified, and let me assure you that with the prevalent situation in Kano, only God knows what will happen next. All these are reactions to the judgment from the tribunal at the appeal stage. People are not happy with the way things are; they are unhappy and agitated.
“Tension is building in the state gradually; we cannot help it when people react to what they feel is injustice and not their wishes. We only hope for peace.
“People didn’t react at the tribunal stage, but they did at the appeal stage because there are insinuations and reports.”
In his reaction, APC Kano legal adviser, Abdul Adamu, disagreed stating that while peaceful protest is justified, the protest embarked upon in the state on Wednesday was not.
He said, “The APC is not taking that as justified on the basis that only peaceful protest is allowed under our law. The protest yesterday cannot be described as peaceful because we saw people burn tires and use weapons, which is outside the scope of our laws.
“After the judgment, the solution is not to turn to the streets, because there was no reason to have a protest in the first place, as the judgment was handed down by a court of competent jurisdiction. It’s in our constitution that whoever is not satisfied should approach the appellate court, and in this case, it’s the Supreme Court.”
Adamu also claimed that the New Nigeria Peoples Party was behind the protest in the state, adding that “a voice note” was making the rounds on social media to corroborate his claims.
The Kano state police command announced on Wednesday that it had arrested seven protesters.
