The Federal High Court in Kano has disqualified all 44 chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) from participating in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 26, 2024.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the judgment was delivered by Justice Simon Amobeda on Friday, following a lawsuit initiated by Engineer Muhammad Babayo and a faction of the NNPP against the party’s leadership.
The court ruled that the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) must accept a new list of candidates submitted by the faction led by Dalhatu Shehu Usman, the party’s recognized State Chairman, in accordance with the NNPP’s constitution.
Justice Amobeda specifically restrained KANSIEC from releasing the voters’ register based on the current list of candidates, stating, “The defendant is hereby restrained from releasing the voters register for the 2nd Defendant to conduct the proposed election on 26th October 2024.”
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Moreover, the court mandated that KANSIEC must recognize the candidate list submitted by the plaintiffs and reject any alternate lists for the local government elections.
This decision has intensified the ongoing controversy surrounding the elections, highlighting internal disputes within the NNPP.
The case included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), KANSIEC, the Inspector General of Police, and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) as defendants.
In a related directive, Justice Amobeda ordered that security agencies, including the police and DSS, be prohibited from providing protection at polling units unless the updated candidate list is implemented.
“The 3rd and 4th Defendants are forthwith restrained from providing security and protection to the scene of the Election plans to take place on the 26th October 2024,” the ruling stated.
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The ruling has raised questions about the electoral process in Kano State and the implications for the NNPP, which has been embroiled in internal conflicts that may affect its political standing in the upcoming elections.
As the October 26 date approaches, the situation remains fluid, with potential appeals and further legal actions anticipated.