A Federal High Court in Kano made a shocking last-minute ruling yesterday, Friday, October 25, disqualifying all 44 chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from participating in today’s local government elections, Saturday, October 26......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Justice Simon Amobeda made this decision after Engineer Muhammad Babayo and a faction of the NNPP filed a lawsuit against the party’s leadership.
Court orders KANSIEC to accept new list
The court ordered the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to accept a new list of candidates submitted by Dalhatu Shehu Usman, the recognized State Chairman, aligning with the party’s constitution. Suggesting that the original list of candidates is no longer valid.
Channels TV reported that this ruling has thrown the local government elections into further controversy, especially since the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already withdrawn from the race.
The APC’s withdrawal was announced by KANSIEC Chairman Prof. Sani Malumfashi, stating the party didn’t participate in any election-related processes. Despite this, Malumfashi confirmed the commission would proceed with the election as instructed by a State High Court.
Kano governor orders movement restriction
The governor has, however, ordered a movement restriction in the state for the election, which will be held on Saturday. Kano politics have been a mix of crises following the outcome of the 2023 general elections, where the APC lost massively to the NNPP.
On the other hand, the NNPP is working tirelessly to retain its dominance in the state and extend beyond to other states ahead of 2027.