JUST IN: Appeal Court Reverses Judgment Voiding Kano LG Election, KANSIEC Composition
By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a judgment by the Federal High Court in Kano which nullified the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) and the outcome of the local government elections conducted on October 26, 2024.
Delivering three unanimous judgments on Friday, a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain suits relating to the composition of state electoral commissions and the qualifications of their members.
The panel ruled that such matters fall within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State, not the Federal High Court.
The appeals were filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State House of Assembly, and KANSIEC. The appellate court allowed all three appeals and struck out the original suits for want of jurisdiction.
In a separate but related ruling, the Court of Appeal also set aside another judgment of the Federal High Court which had rejected the list of candidates submitted to KANSIEC by the Musa Kwankwaso-led faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the same local government elections.
The appellate court held that the dispute over which faction’s list was authentic, as well as issues surrounding party leadership, were internal matters that are not justiciable. It emphasized that such issues are beyond the purview of the court and fall within the internal affairs of the political party.
The October 2024 local government election in Kano had been conducted under a cloud of controversy following the lower court’s ruling, which cast doubts on the legitimacy of both KANSIEC and the electoral process.
With Friday’s decision, the Court of Appeal has reinstated the validity of the elections and affirmed the lawful composition of KANSIEC.
The judgments are expected to calm political tensions in Kano and provide legal clarity on the jurisdictional boundaries between federal and state courts in electoral matters.
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