Senator Lawal Adamu: Beyond The Media Trial… -By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

In the history of election tribunal ,there was never a time a case was subjected to media trial than the ongoing case against the distinguished senator, Lawal Adamu Usman. He is senator representing Kaduna central. Since the time the tribunal started it’s sitting, it was one negative story or misrepresentation of court proceedings to another aimed at tarnishing the image of distinguished senator. The first media trial was how some news papers threw their professionalism and work ethics to dog in other to paint the senator black. They maliciously reported that the institutions the senator attended testified against him. The story was not only false, malicious but also deliberate attempt to mislead the general public. After the heads of institutions appeared and testified for Lawal Adamu Usman, the media houses went silence and licked their wound. The general public who attend and monitor the tribunal sittings thought that the media houses must have learnt a lesson. Alas, this has no been the case.

The media houses which spread tissues of lies are being used by mischief makers and desperate politicians to bring down the distinguished senator against all odds. One is surprised, leadership, which is one of the reputable and leading news paper can fall into the hands of these political hanky-panky. The story the paper carried out that, senator lawal Adamu, had used certificate of one Halima Ndanusa, to get admission into University was not only malicious, distracting and defamatory but also joking taking too far. Little wonder, the senator, through his lawyers wrote to the leadership company to retract the false story and apologize for character assassination or face legal actions, including paying 1 billion damages. Also, before the formal presentation of the witnesses at the tribunal on Sunday 16 July, counsel to Senator Lawal Adamu Usman, Mr. MA Magaji (SAN) drew the attention of the court to alleged media trial embarked upon by the APC candidate, Muhammad Abdullahi Dattijo to ridicule court proceedings and urged the court to caution the petitioner. Magaji further stated, the proceeding of this tribunal was maliciously bastardised and misrepresented, calculated to achieve what is called media trial. No more. But a caution is enough since there is a record of the proceedings

However, the last sitting took an interesting dimension with the senator’s former class teacher from demonstration school Gwagwalada, appeared and testified for senator Lawal Adamu. He told the court that the senator was introvert who hardly speaks in class. With more people testify for the senator, one is sure, Lawal Adamu Usman will coast to victory in the tribunal. But what disturbs every right thinking minds is the resort of media trial to distort court proceedings. Senator Lawal Adamu Usman is not new to court cases. Since the time he emerged as the candidate, polled 99 votes in the primary to defeat his closer opponent, Usman Ibrahim, senator Lawal Adamu faces many legal battle which he won with relatively ease. The legal huddles had lingered up to supreme court. But his party waded into the case and recognised Lawal Adamu Usman as the legitimate candidate. In a colourful and celebrated event which took place in Kaduna state trade Fair, Lawal Adamu, was handed over the flag of his party. That was why, when Dattijo in election tribunal challenged the senator that, he was not duly nominated by his party elicited interjections. Distinguished senator Lawal Adamu Usman was validly nominated by his party in line with laws guiding the conduct of primaries.

Despite the short period he had for campaign due to the legal battle, Lawal Adamu Usman went ahead to win the election with wide margin. The good people of Kaduna central overwhelmingly voted him on 25th February,2023. His first motion for the quick construction of Kaduna/ Abuja road and the call for deployment of adequate security personnel to police the road has received accolades from his colleagues and Nigerians. This is a good impression that senator Lawal Adamu Usman will not be a bench-warmer rather an active senator. He is fully ready to move many motions for the development of his constituency and the country at large. The campaign of calumny through the use of media trial adopted by his opponents for ulterior motives, outside the court of law, will not distract his avowed commitment for better representation. On 7th August, the election tribunal will deliver judgement in favour of distinguished senator lawal Adamu Usman who has nothing to fear as all the charges levelled against are nothing but mundane, false and misleading.

Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua Kaduna state.08169056963.