The Abuja Court of Appeal has set aside a judgment by the Federal High Court in Kano that had nullified the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KASIEC) and invalidated the local government election conducted by the commission on October 26, 2024.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear cases concerning the composition of state electoral bodies or the qualifications of their members. The appellate court upheld three separate appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State House of Assembly, and KASIEC, dismissing the suits on the grounds that only the Kano State High Court has the authority to adjudicate such matters.
Additionally, the Court of Appeal overturned another ruling by the same Federal High Court, which had rejected the list of candidates submitted to KASIEC by the Musa Kwankwaso faction of the New Nigeria Peopleโs Party (NNPP) for the last local government election. The appellate court held that disputes over party leadership and candidate nominations fall outside the scope of judicial intervention.
This decision reinforces the jurisdictional boundaries between federal and state courts in electoral matters, affirming that state-level electoral disputes should be resolved within the state judiciary.
