The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has labelled the local government elections held on Saturday by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) as illegal, referencing an existing court ruling.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), APC chieftain Rabi’u Bichi argued that a Federal High Court order, issued by Justice Simon Amobede in Kano, remains in force and effectively nullifies the election.
According to Bichi, the court found KANSIEC’s leadership biased toward the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), rendering the commission’s conduct as partial.
“The party’s stance is informed by a court order by Justice Simon Amobede of the Federal High Court, Kano, which still stands, and which has rendered the election null and void.
“The judge ruled that the leadership of KANSIEC was partisan and biased towards the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state.
“Since the judgment has not been appealed, the APC considers any outcome of the election illegal,” he said.
Bichi further cited a recent Federal High Court decision that disqualified all NNPP chairmanship candidates in the local government elections, reinforcing the APC’s position that the election is invalid.
He urged APC members to remain patient as the party pursues legal avenues to contest the election process.
In response, KANSIEC Chairman Prof. Sani Malumfashi maintained that the commission is acting lawfully and following procedural guidelines.
He emphasized that KANSIEC is non-partisan and directed staff and volunteers to avoid corruption, enforce age requirements, and reject any attempts at vote-buying or violence.
Malumfashi reminded participants that Friday’s Kano High Court decision granted KANSIEC the authority to proceed with the elections.
On Friday, Justice Sanusi Ado Maaji of Kano State High Court No. 15 upheld KANSIEC’s jurisdiction to conduct the scheduled local government polls, affirming that the applicant had successfully argued their case.
