The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has escalated its legal challenge to the recent local government elections by seeking a Federal High Court injunction to halt monthly allocations to the state’s 44 local councils.
The party is demanding that fresh, “fair and just” elections be held before any further federal funds are disbursed.
The case, led by APC leaders Hon. Abdullahi Abbas and Hon. Aminu Aliyu Tiga, was filed against several federal and state institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), and the 44 local government councils in Kano State.
In response to the urgency of the matter, Justice S.A. Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano granted an expedited hearing.
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The court ordered that all legal processes be served through the official state and federal legal channels, ensuring a swift resolution. “This matter is abridged to seven days from the date of service of the Order,” Justice Amobeda stated, setting the hearing date for November 22, 2024.
APC spokesperson Ahmad Aruwan assured that all parties would be properly notified in time for the hearing. “We will ensure that everyone involved is duly served so that the case can proceed without delay,” he said.
The APC’s legal challenge stems from claims that the local government elections, held on October 26, 2024, were illegitimate.
The party argued that opposition candidates were unfairly excluded from the election process.
The APC pointed to a prior court ruling by Justice Amobeda, which disqualified Prof. Sani Lawan Malumfashi and other members of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) due to their ties to the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Despite this ruling, the APC contends that KANSIEC proceeded with the elections, and as a result, it is challenging the legitimacy of the polls.
“The electoral commission defied the court order and held the election anyway, which makes it illegitimate,” said Aruwan. “If there was no valid election, then who should the federal government be disbursing funds to?”
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Aruwan also highlighted that APC candidates, along with members of other opposition parties, were barred from participating in the elections, which the NNPP ultimately swept, winning all 44 local government council seats.
“Our party members, along with other opposition members, were deprived of the opportunity to contest,” Aruwan said. “How can that be considered an election?”
The legal action has sparked a new wave of political tension in Kano State, with NNPP supporters accusing the APC of undermining the state’s progress. However, Aruwan dismissed these allegations, emphasizing that the APC’s lawsuit was aimed at protecting democratic principles.
“Those claiming that our lawsuit is harming Kano State are mostly Kwankwasiyya loyalists. We are taking this action because we believe it is necessary to safeguard the interests of our party and the state as a whole,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense that one party, the NNPP, would win all 44 local government seats.”
Meanwhile, the Kano State government has defended KANSIEC’s actions, citing an October 25 ruling from the Kano State High Court.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Sanusi Ma’aji, had authorized KANSIEC to conduct the elections and directed security agencies to ensure the safety of all participants.
However, Aruwan criticized the state court’s decision, arguing that it contradicted Justice Amobeda’s earlier ruling. “When the state court issued that order, the federal court had already halted the election,” he said.
The APC’s case is reminiscent of a similar legal battle in Rivers State, where a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order preventing the CBN and other relevant agencies from disbursing monthly allocations from FAAC to the local government councils in the state, in response to allegations of irregularities in local elections.
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