PROMINENT Islamic cleric, Sheik Mansur Sokoto, has said that Islam is endangered by the decisions of governorship election petition tribunals in Taraba and Nasarawa states in the Northern region of Nigeria.
Mansur Sokoto bared his mind via a Facebook post he titled “Islam and Northern Arewa” in the Hausa language, where he shared his reflection. He said, “Review of the governorship legal tussles of some states these days is worrisome. If Taraba and Nasarawa fall to non-Muslims, then Islamic religion will be endangered.” The Islamic cleric, after stating his view, posed a question, saying “What’s the way out.”
It will be recalled that earlier in the week, the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia sacked Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Mr David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the election.
The majority judgment was read by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, Chairman of the tribunal.
Justice Chiemelie Onaga, a member of the panel, agreed with the lead judgment read by the panel chairman. He said that the judgment was a temporary setback that they would learn from in order to re-strategise and come out stronger. The only dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, who dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and upheld the declaration of the governor by the INEC.
In his reaction on Monday, the governor had said, “I remain the governor till the Supreme Court decides otherwise because the law allows me to appeal and we will do that to reclaim our mandate.”
Also on Saturday, it was reported that the Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal affirmed that Agbu Kefas of the PDP is the validly elected governor of Taraba State. The three-man panel dismissed the petition filed by the New Nigerian People’s Party and its candidate Prof. Sani Yahaya for lacking in merit.
The panel of justices of the tribunal said the petition challenging the election of Kefas lacked merit and consequently dismissed it.
Eighteen-Eleven Media