5 hours Ago By Adeyinka Salami
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano. A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, yesterday, sacked the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof. Sani Malumfashi, for being a political party card-carrying member.
With this development, the upcoming local government elections slated for October 26th, observers feared, may not go on as earlier scheduled. Justice Simon Amobeda, gave the ruling on Tuesday in Kano, in a matter filed by Aminu Tiga and All Progressive Congress (APC). The court ordered that the 9th to 14h Defendants being card-carrying members of the New Nigeria’s People Party (NNPP) and in partisan politics contrary to section 197 (1) (b) and section 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
According to Section 4 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001, the dependents were not qualified to be the chairman and members of the commission. The court ruled that the 9th Defendant not being an officer in the Kano State Civil Service not below the rank of Director prior to his appointment as Secretary of the first defendant was not qualified to be appointed to the position pursuant to section 14 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001. Also, the 1st Defendant whose composition of members was made in contravention of Constitutional provisions of section 197 (1) (b) and section 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Section 4 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001 states that the agency could not validly and competently conduct Local Government Election 2024 in respect of 44 Local Governments in the state until and unless qualified persons are duly and legally appointed as chairman and members of the commission in line with relevant extent law. The defendants in the suit are Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Kano State House of Assembly, Attorney General , Kano State, INEC, Director, Department of State Services, Commissioner of Police, Kano Command, and State Commandant. Others were the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kano State Command, Anas Muhammad Mustapha, Mukhtar Garba Dandago, Isyaku Ibrahim Kunya, Kabir Jibril Zakirai and Amina Inuwa Fagge.
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