Kano Elections Tribunal Reads Riot Act to Journalists ... Green Party candidate withdraws petition against Ganduje

Kano State governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday read the riot act to journalists covering the proceedings of the tribunal.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Halima S. Mohammad, who issued the warning during the inaugural sitting of the court, threatened that journalists would be made to face the wrath of the law for any misrepresentation.

He said: "We expect balanced reporting where necessary as any form of misreporting which has the tendency of heating up the polity will be interpreted as a tacit hovering with the precinct of contempt."

The Justice, who declared that the tribunal would be guided by peculiar rules and procedures, insisted that he won’t tolerate any form of technicalities on the part of the counsel to deaden speedy dispensation of justice.

The chairman of the three-member panel urged security agencies to be at alert to their entrusted responsibility and diligently execute such within the confined of their duties.

While giving assurance of the tribunal to maintain level playing ground to all parties, Justice Mohammad said he wanted the support of members of the bar, political parties and key stakeholders towards the success of the national assignment.

According to him, "We expect the state Attorney General as the leader of the official and unofficial bar and as a minister in the temple of justice to use your exalted office to guide the bar to the ethics of the profession.

"And to the members of the political parties, the tribunal, having guaranteed a level playing ground, we do not expect anyone to heat up the polity by doing acts that may be inimical to the security of the tribunal and its members."

On his part, Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Musa Abdullahi Lawan, pledged the supports and confidence of the bar to the tribunal.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) in the election, Abdulssalam Abdulkarim, has withdrawn his petition against Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Abdulkarim had earlier filed a petition before the Justice Mohammad-led election petition tribunal challenging the victory of the candidate of All Progressives Candidate (APC).

The petitioner also questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring Ganduje as the winner of governorship election in Kano State.

In an eight paragraphs affidavit, counsel to the petitioner, Ibrahim Sa'ad, stressed that the decision to withdraw the suit was to allow peace and tranquility reign in the state.

As counsel to Ganduje, MA Lawan, did not object to the application Justice Mohammad therefore granted the application.