Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has received a major boost ahead of the Supreme Court’s judgement on his appeal, with 200 lawyers volunteering to support his legal battle.
The lawyers, under the banner of the “Abba Kabir Yusuf volunteer lawyers forum for the 19 – Northern states and Abuja”, declared their commitment to Governor Yusuf’s cause at a press briefing held at Arewa House, Kaduna, on Sunday, December 3.
Their intervention comes as Governor Yusuf faces a stiff legal challenge from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasir Gawuna, over the outcome of the gubernatorial election.
Spokesman for the volunteer lawyers, Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim, expressed concern about the independence of the judiciary in Nigeria. He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Supreme Court to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the vote of every Nigerian counts.
“We volunteer as private legal practitioners to participate in the litigation in solidarity for Gov. Yusuf at the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” Ibrahim said.
The lawyers stressed that pre-election matters should not be used to overturn the results of elections after a winner has been declared. They believe this is necessary to protect the sanctity of electoral processes.
Mr. Usman Ashafa, another member of the volunteer group, said the Appeal Court’s judgement in the case left much to be desired. “We aim to rectify these concerns in the pursuit of justice,” he added.
