The commissioner of land and survey in Kano, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, has issued a death threat to the judges of the state’s Election Petition Tribunal.
Aliyu also promised to unleash mayhem on residents of the state, one worse than the insurgency residents of Borno are confronted with, Premium Times reported.
Rising political tension in Kano
Suggesting that judges of the tribunal may have been bribed to deliver a judgement against his party, the NNPP, Aliyu said if the NNPP loses at the tribunal, they may pay with their lives. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has a petition before the tribunal against the NNPP.
Aliyu made the statements, on Thursday, September 14, while addressing members of the NNPP during a solidarity protest of the party.
Watch the video here.
He said in Hausa:
“I am sending this message to the tribunal judges, any judge that allows himself to be used and collect bribes and pass judgement that is not right, we want to tell him he must choose between his life and the bribe money he collected.
Aliyu continued:
“Another message for the leaders. You have seen the conflict (banditry) in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, I swear because of this governorship seat, everyone will die. The conflict that will start in Kano will be more deadly than the ones in those states and Borno.”
News Direct understands that the gathering also doubled as a prayer session at different locations of Kano state for an outcome favourable to the party at the election tribunal.
NNPP chieftain’s threat: APC group fumes
Reacting to Aliyu’s threat, the APC Intellectual Forum fumed at the commissioner’s utterances.
The APC group described Aliyu’s remarks as “unguided, barbaric, and provocative”.
The statement, signed by its chairman, A.K. Mustapha, reads in full:
“Our attention has been drawn to the unguided, barbaric and provocative utterances made by the key figures of NNPP especially that of the secretary to the state government Dr. A. B. Bichi and Commissioner of Land and Survey Dr. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, after the conduct of their so called prayer sessions at various strategic locations in the State, which could obviously deteriorate the relative peace and the peaceful co-existence among the good people of Kano State.
“It is a common knowledge that, members of the APC are law abiding citizens, peace lovers and patriotic Nigerians, therefore, we are urging all our members not to respond or retaliate to any of these unguided, barbaric and provocative utterances, because, we are the winners and there is no substitute of a victory.
“Our members should be rest assured that, APC will Insha Allah emerge victorious at the end of the court cases, because, we have now proved our case beyond reasonable doubt with star witnesses and evidences. Unlike the NNPP, that woefully failed to depend itself before the court, and resort to threating public peace and advocating violence to influence court’s decision.
“Therefore, we call upon all the members of APC and good people of Kano State to continue praying for the peace, harmony and prosperity of our dear state and avoid doing anything that might jeopardize the peace in the state.”
