In an effort to spare the judiciary from more shame following the Kano ruling, former judges have petitioned the Supreme Court.

In the lead-up to the Supreme Court hearing, a group of former judges called the Transparent Justice Initiative (TJI) has challenged the highest court to uphold the “popular victory” of Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano State, and spare the judiciary any additional shame.

In its rulings, particularly on election-related issues, the judiciary should reflect its role as the common man’s final resort, according to the Daily Sun.

“As a group of retired personnel, we are concerned about the public’s misinformation surrounding the Appeal Court verdicts. We want to reassure Nigerians that the Supreme Court, being the last resort for dispute resolution and final arbiter, will ensure justice prevails.”

The Abuja-based appeals court affirmed the tribunal’s decision to remove Governor Yusuf from office and declare APC candidate Nasiru Gawuna the victor of the March 18 poll.

The group’s coordinator, Mr. Stanley Kingsley, signed a statement in which they voiced their trust in the Supreme Court.

Its capacity to defend individual rights, the rule of law, and the supremacy of law has been proven time and time again. Rest assured, the Supreme Court will thoroughly review the tribunal’s and Appeal Court’s decisions to uphold the fundamental rights and voices of the people, as outlined in our constitution’s electoral act.

The court’s decision to depose a candidate who had been elected by the people would constitute a “miscarriage of justice,” it said.

With a total of 1,019,602 votes and a gap of 128,897 votes between him and the second place, APC candidate, we witnessed how the people turned out in large numbers to vote for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on March 18, 2023.

Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay presided over the tribunal that dismissed Yusuf on September 20, 2023, and the panel’s decision to uphold that verdict was unanimous. The 165,663 votes cast for Yusuf, who ran as a candidate for the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), were deemed unlawful by the lower court due to the lack of signatures or stamps from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

We have reviewed the decision in detail and have come to the conclusion that this is a first: a tribunal has ever annulled an election because voters failed to sign the back of the ballot. This cannot happen again.

The people of Kano have spoken, and we know the Supreme Court will listen, and they will carry out the will of the people. It is our firm belief that the judiciary will continue to have universal respect and trust in the future.

Therefore, the TJI emphasised that the judiciary should continue to be trusted by Nigerians, since it is an important component of a democratic society.