A Federal High Court in Kano has disqualified all 44 New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chairmanship and councillorship candidates from participating in the local government elections on Saturday.

The decision was handed down on Friday by Justice Simon Amobeda in response to a lawsuit filed by Engineer Muhammad Babayo and a faction within the NNPP challenging the party’s leadership.

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Justice Amobeda directed the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to accept a revised list of candidates submitted by the faction led by Dalhatu Shehu Usman, the party’s recognized State Chairman, as specified in the NNPP’s constitution.

In his ruling, Justice Amobeda declared: “The defendant is hereby restrained from releasing the voters register for the 2nd Defendant to conduct the proposed election on 26th October 2024.”

He further instructed KANSIEC to acknowledge the candidates submitted by the plaintiffs as the legitimate contenders.

The case also named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), KANSIEC, the Inspector General of Police, and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) as defendants.

Justice Amobeda ordered that the second defendant, KANSIEC, should treat the list submitted by Usman’s faction as the “genuine and subsisting” list for the 2024 election, stating, “The 2nd Defendant is hereby directed to accept as genuine and subsisting the list of NNPP candidates submitted to it by the recognized State Chairman, Dalhatu Shehu Usman,” while directing that “any other list submitted for the 2024 Local Government Election in Kano State should be rejected.”

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Additionally, the court restrained the Inspector General of Police and the DSS from providing security if the elections proceed without the corrected candidate list.

Justice Amobeda ruled, “That 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.”

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgment on a case brought by the Rivers State House of Assembly and its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, seeking to halt the allocation of funds to the Rivers State government.

After hearing all arguments related to the main suit, as well as motions and objections, the judge indicated that a decision would be delivered at a later date, which will be communicated to all involved parties.

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The plaintiffs, in case number FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2024, have named several defendants including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, the Accountant General of the Federation, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Accountant General, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, and other officials.

They are seeking a court order to freeze funds allocated to Rivers State.

Earlier, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed a request by the Rivers State government and other defendants to pause the proceedings while an appeal is pending.

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The judge described the request as “frivolous, vexatious, unwarranted, and mischievous.” Furthermore, a motion from the Rivers State Accountant General, asking the judge to withdraw from the case due to alleged bias, was rejected.

Justice Abdulmalik emphasized that her conduct was impartial, refusing both the recusal and a request to move the case to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

She underscored that the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction covers the entire country and that case assignments fall under the Chief Judge’s discretion.

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The legal conflict traces back to July 15, when the Rivers Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, suspended Governor Fubara’s expenditures until he resubmitted his budget for approval.

The Assembly set a seven-day deadline for the governor, which subsequently expired without a submission.

In response, the Assembly froze the state’s Consolidated Revenue Account, restricting financial activities by Fubara’s administration.

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The plaintiffs’ motion seeks to prevent the Central Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and the Accountant General of the Federation from processing any financial instructions issued by Governor Fubara, thereby freezing the state’s funds.

The Kano State High Court has instructed the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to continue with the local government elections set for Saturday.

The directive was issued on Friday by Justice Sanusi Ma’aji in response to a case brought by the state electoral commission against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 13 other respondents.

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Justice Ma’aji affirmed that KANSIEC has the constitutional authority to organize, oversee, and conduct elections across all 44 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

He emphasized that any attempt to obstruct the election process would be deemed invalid.

The judge also called on security agencies to act promptly, ensuring the safety of citizens and property throughout the election period, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

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This ruling follows an earlier decision by Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano, who had temporarily halted the council elections earlier in the week.

Justice Amobeda’s suspension was based on claims that the state electoral commission had been improperly constituted.

Despite the federal court’s earlier ruling, Justice Ma’aji’s latest decision supports KANSIEC’s right to proceed, stressing the legitimacy of the electoral body’s role in conducting the elections.

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Security forces have been tasked with maintaining order to facilitate a smooth voting process on election day.

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On Thursday, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) launched its campaign for the upcoming Local Government Area (LGA) elections across Abia State’s 17 councils.

The event, held at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba, attracted a massive crowd and led to significant traffic congestion in the East Street area and other main routes in Aba South LGA.

Reports indicate a division within the Abia Labour Party (LP). The split has resulted in two factions: one supports Governor Alex Otti, while the other aligns with the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee.

It is reported that the faction loyal to Governor Otti has moved to the ZLP in preparation for the council elections scheduled for November 2.

During the rally, the ZLP’s chairmanship candidates, led by Chinedu Ekeke of Isuikwuato, received the party’s flag and addressed the crowd.

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Ekeke emphasized the party’s intention to introduce a people-centric leadership style at the local government level and called on Abia residents to back the ZLP.

“Abia should expect a new type of leadership, one where the average citizen is prioritized, where those without connections to power have equal rights as those who do,” Ekeke declared. “We aim to make life easier for the people.”

On the ZLP’s prospects in the upcoming elections, Ekeke expressed confidence in the party’s appeal to voters.

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He cited the success of smaller parties in recent elections as a sign that the ZLP could challenge the established political giants in Abia.

Ekeke also shared plans to curb rural-to-urban migration, promising a focus on agricultural development and skills training.

“If people can earn a living in rural areas, there’s no need to move to the cities,” he stated.

“In my LGA, we will invest in agriculture and establish small-scale industries to provide jobs locally.”

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Additionally, he highlighted the party’s vision for youth empowerment through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

“We will train young people so they can work remotely for international companies, earning foreign currency without leaving their communities.”

Addressing potential funding challenges, Ekeke mentioned the Supreme Court ruling that ensures financial allocations to local governments, alongside strategies to enhance local Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other creative funding methods.

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