- Election Was Conducted In Transparent, Orderly Manner No Reports Of Violence- KANSIEC
Amid a barrage of litigations and court rulings, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has swept all 44 chairperson seats in the LGA election held in Kano state on Saturday.
Similarly, the party won all the councillorship positions in the just concluded election.
Sani Malumfashi, chairman of the Kano Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), announced the results at the state capital.
“We are pleased to announce that the NNPP has won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats across the 44 local government areas,” he said.
“The election was conducted in a transparent and orderly manner and we did not receive any reports of violence.”
The process leading to the local government election was fraught with a barrage of litigations.
On October 22, a federal high court in Kano restrained Malumfashi from conducting the October 26 LG polls.
In his ruling, Simon Amobede, the presiding judge, said Malumfashi was “unqualified” to conduct the elections because “he is a card-carrying member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)”.
The case was filed by Aminu Tiga, a member of the All-Progressives Congress (APC).
Tiga had told the court that Malumfashi, Kabir Zakirai, secretary of the commission, and other members of KANSIEC were members of the NNPP and do not meet civil service grade requirements for their appointments.
On Friday, Kano state high court in Kano delivered a counter ruling, ordering KANSIEC to proceed with the conduct of the local government poll.
Sunusi Ado-Ma’aji, the presiding judge, ruled that the constitution empowers KANSIEC to conduct and supervise elections in the LGAs of Kano state.
The judgment was delivered following an ex parte application filed by the commission.
Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano state, had said the election would be held despite the court ruling prohibiting the process.
“We have satisfied all the conditions laid down by the law and we have completed all necessary preparations for the conduct of the elections on Saturday. As such, the polls must take place as planned,” Yusuf said.
The governor said “enemies of the state” were plotting to “truncate this election”.
The election also took place with local vigilante groups and officials of Kano Road Transport Agency, Karota providing security at the polling units after the Kano State Police Command said it would comply with a court order, restricting it from taking part in the election.
