Court halts political parties from blocking Kano LG election plans
By Uzair Adam
A Kano State High Court, presided by Justice Sunusi Ado Maaji, has issued a restraining order against the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and 19 other political parties, preventing them from obstructing the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) from collecting nomination fees for the upcoming local government elections.
The political parties had initially objected to KANSIEC’s set fees, which were N10 million for chairmanship candidates and N5 million for councillorship candidates.
In response to a federal high court ruling in Abuja questioning the high fees, KANSIEC adjusted the fees to N9 million for chairmanship and N4 million for councillorship.
The local government elections in Kano are scheduled for October 26, 2024.
The defendants in the case include Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Boot Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Movement, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressive Party, Young Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
On September 24, 2024, the court granted an ex-parte order, halting any action by the political parties that could derail KANSIEC’s preparations for the election, pending the hearing of the motion on notice, which is set for October 10, 2024.