All requests by political parties to halt Saturday’s local government polls were rejected by the Kano State High Court, which gave the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) permission to move forward with the election.
This decision follows the initial suspension of the council elections on Tuesday by a Federal High Court in Kano, which was presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda.
Justice Sanusi Ma’aji, presiding over the case, ruled that KANSIEC is empowered by the Constitution to conduct, supervise, and oversee local government elections across the 44 local government areas (LGAs) in Kano State. The case was brought by KANSIEC against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 13 other political parties.
Justice Ma’aji stressed in his decision that any attempt to impede the process would be regarded as invalid.
“KANSIEC, under the provisions of the Constitution, is mandated to hold elections in the state. Any attempt to truncate this process is a nullity,” he said.
The judge also called on security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property during the election.
According to him, It is crucial that security agencies urgently provide the necessary protection to safeguard lives and properties during the conduct of the elections
This ruling comes after a Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda, on Tuesday halted the council elections, citing the alleged illegal constitution of KANSIEC. However, the state high court’s ruling has now cleared the way for the polls to proceed as planned.
