Prof. Pat Utomi, a renowned political economist and chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), says the Supreme Court’s verdict reinstating Gov. Abba Yusuf as duly elected governor of Kano State is a relief.

Mr Utomi, also a former LP presidential aspirant, told journalists in Lagos on Friday that the apex court’s ruling was consistent with the passion of the electorate in Kano state.

According to him, the Supreme Court’s judgement, which set aside judgements of the lower courts that sacked the lone New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) governor in the federation, made a lot of sense.

“That is consistent with the passion of the people of Kano. I was in Kano last month, and I can see what the pulse of the people was.

“Bearing in mind that Kano has been a traditional holder of the Nigerian politics with the spirit of Aminu Kano. It is a relief,” Mr Utomi, also the convener of the National Consultative Front (NCFront), said.

He said that the judgement was also part of the way forward for the country.

According to Mr Utomi, as an old Kano boy who started school in the state in 1960, he knew how strong the spirit of artisan, independent people has continued to dominate Kano politics.

Counselling political gladiators in Kano, Mr Utomi said that service to ordinary people should remain the cornerstone and priority in governance.

“They should look forward to the politics of service to the people. The failure of Nigeria so far has been ‘machine politics’ that focuses on power and not service to the people.

“That focus on power has led to a situation where the people have become alienated, and the response is the increased violence that we see everywhere in the country.

“If the political class will just imagine that they have greater and better interest in growing Nigeria, they will learn to accommodate one another for democracy to take place.

“It is not the business of using muscles to push out others: This is not sustainable, it only goes for a season, and everybody, including those who are doing it, will pay their price,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of Yusuf as duly elected governor of Kano state.

The apex court set aside the verdicts of the Court of Appeal and Kano state election petitions tribunal, which nullified the victory of Mr Yusuf in the March 18, 2023 governorship poll.

A five-member panel of the apex court, in a judgement delivered by Justice John Okor, held that the tribunal and the court of appeal erred by sacking Mr Yusuf as governor of the state.

Mr Yusuf and NNPP had filed an appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed his sacking as earlier pronounced by the Kano State governorship election petitions tribunal.

The tribunal had sacked Mr Yusuf and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw his certificate of return and instead issue the same to Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the candidate of the APC in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

However, not satisfied with the tribunal’s judgement, Mr Yusuf approached the Appeal Court.

But the appellate court had while affirming his sack, further held that the governor was not a member of the party as of the time of the election and could not have been said to have been properly sponsored for the election.

(NAN)