In light of the Supreme Court’s deadline requiring states to conduct Local Government (LG) elections or risk losing federal allocations, states across Nigeria have been rushing to hold elections for LG chairmen. Despite the urgency, some states are facing legal challenges and contestations surrounding these elections.
Kano State Faces Legal Battle Over LG Elections
In Kano State, a faction of the NNPP filed a suit seeking to halt the scheduled Local Government Area Council elections set for October 26, 2024. The application was brought before the Federal High Court in Kano by the NNPP and one of its members, Engr. Muhammad Babayo. The defendants in the case included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, the Inspector General of Police, and the Director General of the Department of State Services.
The suit was to postpone the election until a motion on notice could be heard and determined by the court. They requested an order to stop the elections, claiming that both parties should maintain the status quo until the court rules on their motion.
Court’s Ruling: Application Dismissed
The Presiding Judge of the Kano High Court Justice Simon Amobeda rejected their application, denying their request to halt the elections during a hearing on Wednesday. Instead of granting the injunction, Justice Amobeda ordered the respondents to be notified and required them to explain why the plaintiff’s requests should not be granted.
Rather than granting the injunction the court decided to hasten the process, the judge abridged the timeline for the hearing. He ruled that the case must be heard within 72 hours of serving the court’s order, and all subsequent processes should be filed within 48 hours following service.
The case has been adjourned until October 16, 2024, when the court will review the responses from the defendants and make further determinations on whether the LG elections can proceed as scheduled.
