The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday overturned a ruling by the Federal High Court in Kano, which had nullified both the composition of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KASIEC) and the local government elections held on October 26, 2024.
A three-member panel led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to rule on matters concerning state electoral commissions and their members. The Court of Appeal clarified that such issues fall under the purview of the Kano State High Court.
The appellate court upheld appeals filed by the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State House of Assembly, and KASIEC, and subsequently dismissed the Federal High Court’s decision due to lack of jurisdiction.
In a related development, the Court of Appeal also reversed another Federal High Court judgment, which had rejected a list of candidates submitted to KASIEC by a faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the recent local government polls.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court had no authority to decide on internal party disputes, including issues related to party leadership and candidate nominations, stating that such matters cannot be adjudicated by the courts.