By Suleman Ahmad | The Bureau Newspaper | Kano
The Kano State Government has welcomed the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which set aside an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Kano that sought to halt the conduct of local government council elections in the state.
The appellate court, presided over by Justice Oyewumi, ruled that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to interfere in matters relating to local government elections. This decision follows a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which had questioned the integrity of the electoral process and accused the Chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Sani Lawan Malumfashi, of bias.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal upheld the appeal filed by the Kano State Government and declared the earlier ruling null and void. The court affirmed the legality of the local government council elections held across the 44 LGAs and 484 wards in Kano State.
Reacting to the ruling, the state government described it as a victory for democracy, the rule of law, and the collective will of the people.
“The judgment reinforces our belief in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man and a cornerstone of our democratic process,” the government stated.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf expressed gratitude to the judiciary for its courage and fairness in upholding the constitutional order. He also praised the people of Kano for their patience, resilience, and political maturity during the legal proceedings.
“This ruling is a vindication of our administration’s commitment to transparent, credible, and peaceful elections,” the governor said.
He assured that his government would continue to support the elected local government councils in delivering good governance and development at the grassroots.
The Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, in a congratulatory message, hailed Governor Yusuf and the people of Kano on the judicial triumph, calling it a significant boost for democratic governance and institutional integrity in the state.
