The Nigerian opposition coalition under the umbrella of Coalition of Concerned Political Parties (CUPP), on Tuesday, kicked against the dethronement and purported banishment of the former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Government of Governor Umar Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the National Spokesperson of the group, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said that the group received the incident with rude shock, lamenting that it was a show of shame and National embarrassment before the International community
According to him: “We wish to state that the dethronement and banishment which had the tacit support of the APC led Federal Government was barbaric, illegal, unconstitutional and a grave assault against our constitutional democracy and the fundamental rights guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 43 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and a bold move to desecrate an ancient revered traditional institution.
“The Emir was not given right to be heard which renders the action of the Kano State Executive Council illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional and null and void.
“The banishment is a barbaric and mundane assault on Emir Sanusi’s human right as a Nigerian citizen provided under Sections 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 43 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
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“His right to dignity of the human person, right to personal liberty, right to fair hearing, right to freedom of thought and conscience, right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful assembly and association, right to freedom of movement and right to own immovable property anywhere in Nigeria were all flagrantly violated by the Kano State Government and cannot be condoned in a democracy
“Such nonsensical act of banishment is autocratic, dictatorial and in direct conflict with the constitution and must be resisted
“No Governor or President has right to banish a Nigerian citizen or forcefully move him to any location in violation of right of movement, right to life and a multitude of other rights except by an order of court.
” As opposition, we do not dabble into traditional issues but when Government actions tend to assault our laws and intimidate citizens for speaking out, we must at all times rise to say no.
“The ancient ecclesiastical punishment of banishment and deportation cannot stand in a democracy. This much has been held by the Court of Appeal in the locus Classicus case of Government of Kebbi State vs. HRH Mustapha Jokolo(2013) LPER where the Appellate court condemned and declared that banishment and deportation of a deposed king is unconstitutional.
“Is the Kano State Government above the law that it cannot obey the Courts of the land?
“Nigeria is still a Constitutional democracy. We are not in competition with Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, Idi Amin’s Uganda or Nkuruzizia’s Burundi. This operation destroy anybody or any institution either traditional, parliamentary and judicial that stands up to against the desires of a few incompetent people to hang on to power must be halted.
“A man who was caught on video stuffing Dollars in his pocket, supported by the Buhari APC to manipulate his way to power despite public rejection, shamelessly sat as a moral judge both as accuser and judge and passed sentence of dethronement and banishment on the peoples Emir who despite not a perfect man but is a shining light and hope for the future.”
The Coalition declared that In view of the illegality, it urged the deposed Emir to “seek redress in court to set aside the barbaric and obnoxious action for the good of the nation and others who may be silenced and treated like him.”
It, however, disclosed that in the event of going to court, it had set aside the sum of three million naira as an independent contribution to the former Emir’s legal team to aid the redress of these obnoxious barbaric attack on his constitutional democracy and traditional institutions by a gang of incompetent and shameless institution destroyers.
According to the group: “We will challenge, as a group dedicated to the promotion of democracy, the banishment proclamation in court as such is barbaric and a direct plot to enslave and hunt out of existence perceived enemies of an incompetent and corruption weakened regime that is hustling for Chinese loan to remain afloat after wasting national wealth through misappropriation and misapplication.
“Let it be made clear to Governor Ganduje and APC leaders, Kano is not Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kenya where Miguna Miguna was banished from the country and forced into a plane and was dropped in Dubai, this is not British colonial controlled Bonny Kingdom where Jaja of Opobo was deposed and exported out of his kingdom.
“Democracy and Constitutionality have brought a new dawn and ended the barbaric acts of yesterday.”
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