The Kano State House of Assembly has authorized the local government elections to take place as planned on October 26, 2024, despite a Federal High Court order to the contrary.
This decision follows the disqualification of the chairman and members of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) by Justice Simon Amobeda due to their political affiliations.
Lawan Hussaini Dala, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, criticized the court’s ruling, highlighting its inconsistency with an earlier decision by Justice Nura Ma’aji, which had barred 19 political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), from contesting the elections.
Dala asserted, “Conducting the election does not violate the law.”
To facilitate a smooth electoral process, Dala urged young party loyalists to provide security, emphasizing that the state government is committed to holding the elections regardless of police or security agency availability.
Political parties had initially objected to the high fees set by KANSIEC for chairmanship and councillorship candidates. However, an intervention from the Federal High Court resulted in reduced fees of N9 million and N4 million for the respective offices.
An ex parte order issued on September 24, 2024, further restrained political parties from obstructing KANSIEC, enabling the commission to continue its preparations for the elections.