Kano kicks as court stops imposition of N10m, N5m on candidates

Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) has reacted to an order of the Court restraining the umpire from imposing N10 million and N5 million charges on the nomination for positions of Chairman and Councilor respectively.

In an exparte order granted by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) division, Abuja, on Thursday, KANSIEC was restricted from collecting the charges earlier leveled ahead of the council poll.

The application instituted by the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP) challenged the commission as the only defendant in the matter.

The order reads in part, “Upon the Motion Exparte dated 2nd day of September 2024, but filed on the 3rd day of September 2024, praying the Court for the following orders: an order of interim injunction restraining the defendant from imposing and or collecting the sum of the sum of N10,000,000.00 and N5,000,000.00 from Contestants into the Offices of Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship in the forthcoming Local Election to be conducted on the 30th November 2024, or any earlier date fixed by the Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiffs.

“And for such further order or order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.

“Upon reading the Affidavit in Support of the Motion Ex-parte sworn to by ADAMU DAUDA, together with the Written Address attached thereto and filed at the Court Registry, and AFTER HEARING HASSAN TANKO KYAURE, ESQ, Counsel for the Plaintiffs/Applicants, move in terms of the motion paper: it is hereby ordered as follows;

“That the Plaintiffs/Applicants’ application dated 2/9/2024 but filed on 3/9/2024 is hereby granted as prayed. That an order of Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the Defendant from imposing and or collecting the sum of N10,000,000.00 and N5,000,000.00 from Contestants into the Offices of Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship in the forthcoming Local Election scheduled for 30th November 2024, or any earlier date fixed by the Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiffs.”

The case has been adjourned to September 25, 2024, for a hearing.

Reacting to the development, KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Lawan Sani Malumfashi, said the actions instituted by the parties were not unexpected.

Malumfashi however declared that the commission was prepared to deploy necessary measures against any stumbling block in the way of the scheduled council poll.

“Well, the legal action is not unexpected and I can assure you that KANSIEC is not bothered and would not be intimidated by any legal action. Before now, we are prepared for eventualities of this nature. For us, we can only assure that things will surely go the way it is planned,” Malumfashi told The Guardian.

KANSIEC has rescheduled the council election to the 26th of October against the 30th of November, 2024 earlier fixed.