The Arik Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft in which they were travelling from Yola, the state capital to Abuja was diverted to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano initially on the excuse of bad weather in the nation’s capital.
The Flight W3 409 left Yola at about 4:35pm as against its scheduled take off time of 3:10pm and landed in Kano at about 6pm after failed attempts to land in Abuja.
The airline’s officials advised passengers not to disembark from the aircraft in Kano because they were passengers on transit who would be conveyed to Abuja immediately the weather condition improved.
They were however taken aback when the captain announced at about an hour later that it would not be safe to fly the aircraft to Abuja because it had developed a technical problem.
He said he had contacted the airline’s office and that another aircraft would be sent to convey the stranded passengers.
All the passengers, including the governor, his family members, his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, and top government officials then disembarked to wait for the new aircraft.
Contrary to the airline officials’ promise that the aircraft would arrive in an hour or two, the Flight W3 728 only touched ground in Kano at about 1.20am on Saturday.
The aircraft finally left Kano with the governor and other passengers at about 2:05am and landed in Abuja at about 2:45am, over 10 hours after the initially scheduled arrival time of 4.20pm (Friday).
Most of the passengers had to remain at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja until daybreak before proceeding to their final destinations.
As at the time the flight finally took off, some passengers, including Keyamo, were no longer present as they had made alternative arrangements.
Ngilari was however said to have stopped his aides from making alternative arrangement for him, saying he would rather stay with the passengers, most of whom are from his state.
Meanwhile, before the flight was diverted, passengers had joined the governor to celebrate his victory at the court.
A Federal High Court Abuja had on Wednesday ordered the state Chief Judge to swear in Ngilari as the state governor.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, had nullified the swearing-in of Ahmadu Fintiri as the state Acting Governor while declaring the resignation of Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.
Shortly after the flight took off, the governor left his seat in the Business Class for the Economy Class where he shook hands with everybody on board, one after the other.
Some passengers quickly brought out their cameras and iPads among others which they used to take photographs with the governor.
While that was going on, the Head of the cabin crew made an announcement, congratulating the new governor.
She wished him a successful tenure at the helms of affairs in the state.
Passengers in the Business Class later welcomed the governor back with a loud applause and standing ovation.
Meanwhile, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Olatoke and Mr. John Baiyeshea, on Friday described the swift execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola as a positive and welcome development.
In separate interviews with our correspondent in Ilorin on Friday, the lawyers noted that the judgment and its swift execution had further reinforced the ability of the judiciary to correct and strengthen the polity.
According to Olatoke, the developments indicate that the judiciary is alive to its responsibilities.
He said, “I agree with the judgment. It shows that the judiciary is up to the task and alive to its responsibilities. That is what we are going to continue to have. It is a welcome development.”
Baiyeshea also said the swiftness with which the judgment was executed had strengthened the ability of the judiciary to be seen as discharging its functions creditably.
He added that the judgment had shown that Ngilari did not resign as people were made to believe.
Baiyeshea said, “It is a very happy development. I heard the judgment but I did not know that the people would react very quickly like that. If this is the new development in Nigeria’s legal system of how to comply with the judgment of the court, it is a welcome development
“While I commend the swift compliance with the judgment, I want to say it is also an admission that they misled the whole country by saying the deputy governor resigned when he did not resign. It is terrible.”
Baiyeshea added that the judgment would be an example for subsequent cases. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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