Court Sacks NNPP’s 44 Chairmanship, Councillorship Candidates Ahead of Kano LG Elections

A fresh controversy has erupted in Kano State as the Federal High Court on Friday sacked the 44 chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) ahead of Saturday’s local government election.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Simon Amobede nullified the candidacies following a suit filed by a faction of the party led by Dalhatu Shehu Usman.

The court directed the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to accept and clear the faction’s list of candidates instead.

The defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), KANSIEC, the Inspector General of Police, and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Amobede, after hearing the originating summons dated October 8, 2024, issued an injunction restraining INEC from releasing the voters’ register to KANSIEC.

The court further ruled that KANSIEC must recognize the list of candidates submitted by Dalhatu Shehu Usman’s faction, in line with the party’s constitution.

“The 1st defendant (INEC) is hereby restrained from releasing the voters’ register to the 2nd defendant (KANSIEC) for the conduct of the proposed election on October 26, 2024,” the court ruled.

It added: “The 2nd defendant (KANSIEC) is directed to accept as genuine and subsisting the list of NNPP candidates submitted by the recognized State Chairman, Dalhatu Shehu Usman, and reject any other list for the 2024 Local Government Election in Kano State.”

Justice Amobede also ordered the police and DSS to refrain from providing security for the election.

“That the 3rd and 4th defendants (Police and DSS) are forthwith restrained from providing security and protection at the scene of the election planned for October 26, 2024,” the ruling stated.

The ruling has thrown the NNPP and the local government elections into uncertainty, raising concerns about the smooth conduct of the polls.