THE Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday set aside a judgment of the Federal High Court in Kano which nullified the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission and the local government election held on October 26, 2024.
A three-judge panel, led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, said the Federal High Court did not have the power to hear cases about state electoral bodies and their members.
It said these matters should be handled by the Kano State High Court.
The Court of Appeal allowed the three appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State House of Assembly, and KASIEC, striking out the suits filed before the Federal High Court for want of jurisdiction, noting that the proper court with the required jurisdiction is the High Court of Kano State.
The Court of Appeal also reversed another judgment delivered by the same Federal High Court in Kano, rejecting the list of candidates submitted to KANSIEC by the Musa Kwakwanso faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the last local government election in Kano State.
It added that issues of party leadership and candidates’ nomination were not justiciable.