Kano LG Polls: Appeal Court Overrules High Court

In a significant development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday, overturned two separate judgments by the Federal High Court in Kano.

These rulings primarily centered on the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KASIEC), the October 26, 2024 local government election, and candidate selection disputes within the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

A three-judge panel, headed by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, ruled that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction to hear cases concerning the composition of state electoral bodies and their members.

The court emphasized that such matters rightly fall under the purview of the Kano State High Court.

Consequently, the appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State House of Assembly, and KASIEC were granted, and the Federal High Court’s judgment — which had nullified KASIEC’s composition and the local government election — was set aside.

The case at the Federal High Court was subsequently dismissed due to a lack of authority.

In a related but separate case, the Court of Appeal also set aside another Federal High Court judgment.

This judgment had previously rejected the list of candidates submitted to KASIEC by a faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the recent local government election.

The appellate court reiterated that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction in this matter, as the dispute revolved around NNPP leadership and candidate lists between two factions.

The Court of Appeal further declared that cases pertaining to party leadership and candidate selection are not justiciable, meaning they cannot be resolved through the courts.