The Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified the decision of the Federal High Court in Kano that sought to halt the local government elections held in October 2024.
This ruling marks a significant legal turnaround in the dispute between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC).
The APC had earlier approached the Federal High Court, alleging that the KANSIEC Chairman, Prof. Sani Malumfashi, and some of the electoral commissioners were active members of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Based on this claim, the party sought a court injunction to prevent the elections from taking place.
Justice A.M. Amobeda of the Federal High Court had ruled in favor of the APC, ordering a suspension of the polls. However, the elections went ahead despite the injunction.
While delivering the judgment on Friday, Justice Oyewumi of the appeal court stated that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case, let alone deliver a ruling on it.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal upheld the appeal filed by the Kano State Government and affirmed the validity of the October polls.
As at the time of filing this report, the APC has yet to respond to the judgment and calls placed to the spokesperson of the party, Ahmad Aruwa by this reporter went unanswered.
