In a landmark decision ahead of the Kano State local government elections on October 26, the Federal High Court has disqualified the 44 chairmanship and councillorship candidates fielded by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). This ruling came on Friday as a result of a legal challenge by Muhammad Babayo and a faction within the NNPP disputing the party’s leadership. Justice Simon Amobeda ordered the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to accept a revised list of candidates submitted by the faction led by the state-recognized NNPP chairman, Dalhatu Shehu Usman.
In a directive to KANSIEC, the judge prohibited the release of the voter register, stating: “The defendant is hereby restrained from releasing the voters’ register for the 2nd Defendant to conduct the proposed election on 26th October 2024.” The court also barred the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies from providing protection if the election proceeds without the updated candidates list.
The ruling follows an earlier decision that removed KANSIEC chairman Sani Malumfashi over alleged partisanship. The judge ordered that KANSIEC treat only the candidates list submitted by Dalhatu Usman as valid and reject any other submissions.
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