Kano: A’Court Hears Nine Appeals on Conduct of LG Polls April 8

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has adjourned till April 8, hearing in all appeals surrounding the conduct of local government elections in Kano State.

Presiding judge of a three-member panel of the appellate court, Justice Georgewill Ekanem, announced that all the nine appeals are fixed for definite hearing on the adjourned date after lawyers to all parties identified and regularised their respective arguments in the appeals.

Besides, the court ordered service of court processes as well as date for hearing on some parties not present in court at the day’s proceedings, adding that court documents showed that they served with the various appeals as well as hearing date.

 Among the appeals entertained at Monday’s proceedings included that between the Attorney-General of Kano State versus the All Progressives Congress (APC) and three others; Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KSIEC) versus Kano State House of Assembly and others and Dr Ahmed Ajuji and 20 others versus the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Meanwhile, in the appeal between Kano State House of Assembly and another versus Aminu Aliyu Tiga and 14 others marked: CA/KN/233/2024, the lawmakers are asking the appellate court to void and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Kano, which had in last October restrained the KSIEC from proceeding with the
polls.

In the appeal filed on its behalf by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the assembly predicated its demanding for nullification of the orders of the trail court on the grounds that it was made without jurisdiction.

In addition, the house of assembly submitted that the suit filed by one Aminu Aliyu Tiga and the APC was statute barred at the time it was filed and that the two plaintiffs have no legal recognition to have file the case.

  Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano had on October 22, 2024 stopped the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission from conducting any election for councillors and chairmen in the 44 Local Government Areas of the state, until conditions precedents were met in line with the law.

Justice Amobeda in the judgment had barred members of the KSIEC from conducting any election on the grounds that they were established card carrying members of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State, contrary to Section 197 and 200 of the 1999 Constitution.

Besides, the judge directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to release the national voter register to Kano State for the purpose of conducting the local government polls.

The judge had also restrained the police, Department of State Service (DSS) and other security agencies from participating and giving protection during any local government election in Kano State.

Aggrieved by the decisions of the court, the Kano State House of Assembly approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, praying for an order to set aside the findings and decisions of Justice Amobeda issued against them.

According to them the issue regarding the conduct of LG polls is entirely the affairs of the Kano State Government and that it is the Kano State High Court that can adjudicate over any matter arising from the conduct of local government elections and not the Federal High Court.