Again, Court refuses to stop Kano LG elections

The Federal High Court sitting in Kano has rejected an application to halt the local government elections scheduled for October 26.

Engineer Muhammed Babayo, a factional member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), had filed an exparte motion seeking an interim injunction to stop the electoral process.

Babayo’s lawyer, Dalhatu Shehu Usman, challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Inspector General of Police, and Director General of the Department of Security Service.

The plaintiffs sought a court order to stop the election pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice, and requested the court to direct both parties to maintain the status quo until the matter is resolved.

This is not the first attempt to stop the election. Earlier, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed a suit against KANSIEC, seeking to stop INEC from releasing the voter register for the council poll.

The Kano state government has also filed a preliminary objection, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear matters concerning KANSIEC, arguing that only the state high court and state assembly have the power to entertain such matters.