On Saturday, the Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) declared the state’s Local Government Election which was held today (October 26, 2024) illegal.
News About Nigeria reports that the opposition party made the declaration citing a prior court ruling of the Kano State High Court, which had sacked the chairman and members of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) on the grounds that they were card-carrying members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The APC leader, Rabi’u Bichi, who spoke to newsmen on Saturday, explained that the court judgement remains valid and has effectively nullified the election.
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 (NNPP) in the state. Since the judgment has not been appealed, the APC considers any outcome of the election illegal,” he said.
Bichi urged APC members to remain patient as the party pursues legal avenues to contest the election process.
On his part, KANSIEC Chairman Prof. Sani Malumfashi maintained that the commission is acting lawfully and following procedural guidelines.
He stressed 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 also the people of the state that their votes would count as there is no room for corruption in the election.
