In a sweeping legal turnaround, the Court of Appeal has overturned two controversial judgments of the Federal High Court in Kano, which had earlier nullified the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KASIEC) and rejected the candidate list submitted by a faction of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the October 26, 2024, local government elections.
Delivering four separate judgments on Friday, a three-member panel led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill unanimously ruled that the Federal High Court lacked the constitutional jurisdiction to adjudicate on matters concerning the composition of state electoral bodies and internal party leadership disputes.
The Court of Appeal allowed three appeals filed by:
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The Kano State Attorney General,
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The Kano State House of Assembly, and
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KASIEC,
…striking out the original suits for lack of jurisdiction.
According to the appellate court, disputes about the structure or composition of state electoral bodies like KASIEC are exclusively within the purview of state high courts, not federal ones.
“The Federal High Court is not vested with jurisdiction to entertain matters relating to the qualification, appointment, or composition of State Independent Electoral Commissions,” the panel ruled.
In its fourth judgment, the court reversed the earlier ruling by the same Federal High Court that rejected the list of candidates submitted to KASIEC by the Musa Kwakwanso faction of the NNPP. That judgment had sparked political tension in Kano, as it was interpreted as a legal endorsement of a rival faction’s candidates for the 2024 local elections.
The Court of Appeal, however, declared the matter non-justiciable, stating that disputes over party leadership and candidate nominations are internal affairs of political parties and not subject to judicial review by the Federal High Court.
Legal analysts have called the appeal court’s verdicts a clear rebuke of judicial overreach and a move that restores clarity to the separation of powers between federal and state courts in electoral matters.
Political observers believe the rulings may have broader implications for similar cases across Nigeria, especially as intra-party conflicts and jurisdictional disputes continue to flood the courts ahead of future elections.
With the appellate court’s decision, the October 2024 local government elections in Kano and the legitimacy of KASIEC have now been reaffirmed — at least for now.
