Kano: A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has dismissed a suit filed by Abdullahi Abbas of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and another party, which sought to prevent statutory allocations to the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the motion was filed by Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the APC through their counsel, Sunday Olowomoran. They aimed to restrain the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Accountant-General from disbursing statutory funds to Kano's local government councils. The respondents in the case included the CBN, Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and several other government entities.
The applicants sought a declaration that the 12th to 55th respondents were not democratically elected and constituted pursuant to Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). Justice Simon Amobeda ruled that the case be dismissed, citing procedural requirements and the applicants' request to withdraw the case.
Counsel to the applicants, Sunday Olowomoran, argued that the appellate court had ruled the matter outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, suggesting the Kano State High Court as the proper venue. Despite this, various respondents, including the CBN and RMAFC, argued for dismissal with costs due to resources expended on the case.
The court had previously halted local government elections in Kano, pending the proper reconstitution of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), which had been dissolved for partisanship. The dismissal of this suit now clears the path for the continued allocation of funds to the local governments.