SAVE THIS ARTICLE AS PDF TO READ DEEPER.Barely four days before the Kano Local Government Areas election, a Federal High Court in the state has sacked Prof. Sani Malumfashi as the chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) for being a card-carrying member of a political party.
The defendants in the suit are Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, Kano State House of Assembly, Attorney General, Kano State, INEC, Director, Department of State Services, Commissioner of Police, Kano Command, State Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kano State Command, Anas Muhammad Mustapha, Mukhtar Garba Dandago, Isyaku Ibrahim Kunya, Kabir Jibril Zakirai and Amina Inuwa Fagge.
The court ordered that the 9th to 14h defendants being card-carrying members of the New Nigeria People’s Party and in partisan politics contrary to section 197 (1) (b) and section 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 4 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001 are not qualified to be the Chairman and Members of the 1st defendant.
Justice Amobeda also ruled that the 4h Defendant is forthwith directed not to release/issue register of voters or any electoral material or materials in respect of the 44 Local Governments in Kano State to the 1st Defendant for the purpose of conducting 2024 Local Government Election in the State until and unless the provisions of sections 197 (1) (b) 199 (2) and 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Sections 4 (b) and14 (1) of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001 are fully complied with in appointing qualified persons as chairman and members of 1st Defendant.
