The Chairman of Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), Prof. Sani Lawan Malunfashi, said on Friday, that now that the competent State High Court of Jurisdiction gave them go ahead for the Conduct of the Saturday Local Government Elections, the main opposition APC is out of the Conduct.
He said that, “with the judgment of the State High Court, all arrangements into the Conduct of the elections have been concluded to conduct local government elections in the state on Saturday in line with the ruling of a Kano state High Court on Friday.”
He revealed that the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has since pulled out of the race as they boycotted all electoral processes and guidelines set out by the Commission.
According to him, six political parties are participating in the election including NNPP, ZLP, Accord Party, NRPM, AAC and AA.
The KANSIEC chairman insisted that the Commission is carrying out its activities under the ambits of the law, “every activities of the Commission is procedural. We are not partisan.”
He further urged KANSIEC staff and ad-hoc staff to resist any temptation of bribery and ensure that under-age children are not allowed to vote.
Prof. Malunfashi also reminded politicians that vote-buying, thuggery and other forms of violence contravene the state electoral guidelines.
He maintained that the expectations of all democrats and lovers of democracy is that the Friday’s Kano High Court judgement that gave a nod for the election to hold be respected.
Our Correspondent reports that earlier on Friday, Kano State High Court Number 15 affirmed the Jurisdiction of KANSIEC to conduct Kano State Local government polls, slated to hold on Saturday.
In his judgment, Justice Sanusi Ado Maaji averred that the Applicant (KANSIEC) have provide their case.
KANSIEC had approached the court seeking the Court to perpetually restrain the Defendants (APC) from obstructing the local government electoral process.
He ruled that the Commission was established by the law that gives her statutory mandate to conduct election.
The Court also ordered police to provide security during the exercise.
