A Kano state high court has granted permission to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to proceed with the conduct of local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 2024.
The presiding judge, Justice Sanusi Ma’aji gave the order in a matter filed by KANSIEC electoral commission against All Progressives Congress (APC) and 13 others on Friday.
This ruling comes just three days after a Federal High Court in Kano had issued a restraining order, preventing KANSIEC from conducting the elections until it appointed a qualified Chairman, Secretary, Commissioners, and other officials.
In his judgement on Friday, Justice Ma’aji stated that KANSIEC has the constitutional authority to conduct, supervise, and hold local government elections across the state’s 44 council areas.
He maintained that any attempt to truncate the process of the conduct of the poll amounts to nullity.
Justice Ma’aji also ordered the security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, provide protection of life and property during the conduct of the election slated for tomorrow, Saturday.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Rilwanu Umar SAN, described the judgment as “sound.”
Meanwhile, Nura Adamu, representing the 7th defendants (APC), clarified that their legal challenge was not against KANSIEC’s authority to hold elections but rather the composition of its leadership, which they argue contravenes both the Constitution and Kano State Independent Electoral Commission laws of 2001.
He added that they would review the judgement to determine their next steps.
In response to the ruling, KANSIEC Commissioner for Legal and Voter Matters, Barrister Mukhtar Dandago, confirmed that the elections would proceed as planned and urged residents to participate in voting.
Dandago also noted that KANSIEC has filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal challenging the earlier Federal High Court judgement.
It could be recalled that Justice Simon Amobeda of the federal high court in Kano on Tuesday stopped the conduct of the council election, noting that the state independent electoral commission was illegally constituted.
Justice Simon Amobeda thereby restrained KANSIEC from conducting the election and INEC from providing voter registers while also barring security agencies from participating.
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