The All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to institute a court case against the Kano state Attorney General, Haruna Dederi over allegations the Appeal Court justices that delivered judgment on Kano governorship election were compromised.
To this end, the APC has given 48 hours ultimatum to Dederi to back his allegation with facts by mentioning names of those that interfered in the judgment or retract and apologise to the party or be ready for a legal battle.
The Kano APC state chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Abbas, gave the ultimatum in a petition dated November 23, and addressed to Dederi.
Abbas in the petition titled, “Injurious, malicious and false statement against the judiciary and our party on a live television program and a voice note going round in the social media: Demand for retraction,” also copied and also copied President of the Nigerian Bar Association, and Chairman Nigerian Bar Association, Kano Branch.
He recalled that on the 23rd November, 2023, Dederi featured on Channels Television breakfast show, wherein he made damaging and serious allegation of corruption against the Judges of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Justices of the Court of Appeal that heard and determined the appeal of Abba Yusuf and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) filed in Appeal No CA/KN/EP/GOV/KAN/34/2023, Yusuf Abba Kabir v APC & 2 Ors.
Abbas added that in the said interview, while commenting on the judgment of the Tribunal that sacked Yusuf, Dederi maliciously and falsely alleged that the decision of the Tribunal to deliver judgment via zoom was because of interference.
He noted: “Consequent upon the above, I therefore demand that you come forward and mention the names of those who have hands in interfering with the judgment of the two courts.”
Abbas added that this would go a long way in cleansing the society of corruption and would also clear his name and be protected against unnecessary attacks Dederi’s comment has subjected me to.
He stressed that if Dederi has no proof of the serious allegation he made, he demanded that he publicly apologise to him and his party for the embarrassment he caused them
Abass noted: “As a lawyer, I need not remind you of the provision of your professional code with respect to courts and judges. Your allegation against the judges and justices is very grievous, more so if it turns out to be false.
“I therefore by this letter, give you an ultimatum of 48 hours to back your allegations against the Judges and Justices that they were influenced to give judgment contrary to the law as you claimed.
“Please note that if you fail to meet with my demands as stated above, I shall not hesitate to file a petition against you at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee as well as institute an action for defamation against you in court, and this we shall do without further recourse to you.”