The Kano State High Court has instructed the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to move forward with the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 26. This ruling stands in contrast to a prior decision by a Federal High Court in Kano that questioned the composition of the electoral panel.
On Friday, October 25, Justice Sanusi Ma’aji ruled on a lawsuit filed by KANSIEC against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 13 other political parties, affirming KANSIEC’s legal authority to manage and conduct local government elections across the 44 local government areas of the state. Justice Ma’aji emphasized that any attempts to disrupt the electoral process would be deemed null and void.
Additionally, the judge instructed security forces to ensure the safety of voters and protect individuals and property during the election. This comes after Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano had suspended the election earlier on Tuesday, citing concerns that the KANSIEC chairman was affiliated with the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state. This earlier ruling sparked concerns among state officials and civil society organizations, who argued that it undermined the democratic rights of Kano residents.
In response, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf rejected the suspension and confirmed that the elections would proceed as scheduled.
