The All Progressives Congress in Kano State said the ongoing local government election being conducted by the state Independent Electoral Commission is illegal.
A chieftain of the party, Rabi’u Bichi,made the remark during an interview on Saturday in Kano.
He said, “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 in the state. Since the judgment has not been appealed, the APC considers any outcome of the election illegal.’’
The APC chieftain also pointed to a recent Federal High Court judgment that quashed all NNPP chairmanship candidates for the elections, which he said further reinforced the party’s claims that the election was illegal.
He, however, urged members of the party to show restraint and await the final outcome of the legal moves being made by the party to challenge the poll conduct.
The KANSIEC Chairman, Prof. Sani Malumfashi, insisted that the commission was conducting its activities within the ambit of the law.
He said, “Every activity of the commission is procedural. We are not partisan”
He urged KANSIEC staff and ad hoc staff to resist any temptation of bribery and ensure that underage children are not allowed to vote.
Mr Malumfashi also reminded politicians that vote-buying, thuggery, and other forms of violence contravened the state’s electoral guidelines.
He stressed that democrats and advocates of democracy were expected to respect Friday’s Kano High Court judgement, which authorised the election to proceed.
Earlier on Friday, the Kano State High Court No. 15 affirmed KANSIEC’s jurisdiction to conduct the Kano State local government poll scheduled for October 26, 2024.
In his judgment, Justice Sanusi Maaji stated that the applicant had successfully proved their case.
(NAN)
