Supreme Court Ruling: Anxiety, Tension Mount in Kano, Nasarawa

Kano and Nasarawa states are in the grip of palpable anxiety and tension as residents gear up in anticipation of Friday's Supreme Court verdict on the Appeal Court ruling on the contentious governorship election. 

Our correspondent reports that for fear of possible breakdown of law and order, schools and financial institutions in and around the state capital will be shut Friday, January 12.

The closure, which affects mostly private schools, is not unconnected to the belief that the verdict could trigger violence in Kano and environs.

Although, neither the state government nor police issued any notice to the effect, officials of some of the banks told our correspondent that they decided to be proactive in order to avoid what one of them referred to as "preventable losses". 

Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, is pitched against Nasir Garuwa of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in what appears to be a titanic battle for the soul of the state.

In the much awaited judgement on Friday, the apex court will give a final judgement on who, between the duo, is the authentic governor of the state. 

On the one hand, the governor is challenging the Election Tribunal and Court of Appeal verdicts that favored the APC candidate while the latter will, on the other hand, hope to have the court uphold previous verdicts.

The outcome is expected to put to rest the eight-month long legal tussle for the Governor's seat. 

The situation in Nasarawa state is no less tense. Already, pockets of protest are springing in several quarters of the state capital in anticipation of the verdict. For instance, on Thursday, a women group, Women for Justice converged and began a 24 hours prayer and protest ahead of the judgment. Like other groups mobilized to protest over possible sacking of the governor, their presence in the state capital is creating anxiety for residents.