Tension is rising in states where sitting governors have cases at Appeal Courts, either in Abuja division or Lagos. Many are having sleepless nights strategizing on how to influence the judgments in their favour. Most of the governors in the states that conducted governorship election in the March 18 general election are having cases at the Appeal Courts. Enugu, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Delta, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ogun, Niger, Taraba and others are in courts battling with opposition parties.
Siting governors and their parties are laying claim to victory while opposition parties have disagreed with them, arguing that the victories being claimed and celebrated by the sitting governors were false victories which in their thinking would be upturned at the appeal courts. The tribunals had ruled against some, asking them to pack from government house, especially the Kano state governor, Abbas Kabir Yusuf. Yusuf disagreed with the tribunal judgment and proceeded to the appeal court which is set to deliver judgment on Friday, November 17.
This reporter was discussing with a friend in one of the states last Saturday over the possible outcome of the appeals filed by an opposition party candidate in that particular state. The lady I was discussing with is a staff of one of the ministries in that very state. She replied that the opposition candidate can never win at the appeal. For her, despite the opposition candidate is of the ruling national party with president in Aso Rock, she believes that it would be most impossible for him to win.
I argued with her that the president of the country is of the ruling party and can influence the decision of the appeal court judges in favour of his party man if he wishes to do so. She, though, agreed, however, insisted that rather than allowing the court to give judgment in favour of the opposition party which would have disastrous effect on a lot of things, the sitting governor would rather sell the state than allow the opposition candidate to win. In her reasoning, it would be a big disaster for that state party to lose to the national party. The state would rather remain in the opposition and bear whatever consequence from the federal government than caving in.
Her reasons are not far-fetched; the consequences will be deadly on the part of his predecessor. The former governor will feel the impact more than his successor. Besides losing the office of the governor, his successor has nothing to lose. His godfather has more to lose. He will likely be jailed and may forfeit lots of his assets to the state or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). There are fears in that very state that the erstwhile governor dug his hands very deep into state funds which might be investigated and could lead to confiscation of properties and jail.
To prevent this from happening, the lady went blunt ‘we rather sell the state to settle the matter and win at the appeal court’. This is why many states are not feeling impact of government despite the huge funds flowing in from the federation accounts. One governor has already been sacked, there are fears that more may go. This is the reality on ground. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
WRITTEN BY AKINTAYO OLAMILEKAN, LAGOS
