A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) from charging or imposing fees of N10 million and N5 million on candidates contesting for the offices of Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship, respectively, in the upcoming local government elections.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, granted the order on Wednesday in response to a suit filed by three political parties: the Action Peoples Party (APP), the Action Democratic Party (ADP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). KANSIEC is the sole defendant in the case.
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Previously, KANSIEC had mandated a payment of N10 million for chairmanship candidates and N5 million for councillorship candidates in the local council elections, which have been rescheduled for October 26, 2024.
The court order, issued following an ex-parte motion filed by the plaintiffs, states:
Court Order Excerpts:
UPON THE MOTION EX-PARTE dated 2nd day of September, 2024, but filed on the 3rd day of September, 2024, praying the Court for the following orders:
- AN ORDER OF INTERIM INJUNCTION restraining the Defendant from imposing and or collecting the sum of N10,000,000.00 and N5,000,000.00 from Contestants into the Offices of Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship in the forthcoming Local Election to be conducted on the 30th November, 2024, or any earlier date fixed by the Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiffs.
- AND for such further order or order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
UPON READING the Affidavit in Support of the Motion Ex-parte sworn to by ADAMU DAUDA, together with the Written Address attached thereto and filed at the Court Registry, and AFTER HEARING HASSAN TANKO KYAURE, ESQ., Counsel for the Plaintiffs/Applicants, move in terms of the motion paper:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:
- That the Plaintiffs/Applicants’ application dated 2/9/2024 but filed on 3/9/2024 is hereby granted as prayed.
- That an order of Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the Defendant from imposing and or collecting the sum of N10,000,000.00 and N5,000,000.00 from Contestants into the Offices of Chairman/Vice Chairman and Councillorship in the forthcoming Local Election scheduled for 30th November, 2024, or any earlier date fixed by the Defendant, pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Summons filed by the Plaintiffs.
The case has been adjourned to September 25, 2024, for hearing.
