Kano LG poll: PDP sues electoral commission boss, factional group

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has filed a suit before the state high court asking it to commence contempt proceedings against the chairman of the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) and Ambassador Aminu Wali-faction of the party. The party led by Alh. Shehu Wada Sagagi as its state executive chairman, which has […]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has filed a suit before the state high court asking it to commence contempt proceedings against the chairman of the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) and Ambassador Aminu Wali-faction of the party.

The party led by Alh. Shehu Wada Sagagi as its state executive chairman, which has the backing of the party’s national headquarters and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, had earlier withdrawn from the election but the Wali faction of the party, led by Muhammin Bako Lamido, had insisted it will participate in the election.

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Ahead of the January 16 election, the chairman of KANSIEC, Professor Garba Ibrahim Sheka, on Tuesday, told members of the civil society organisations that the PDP along with 11 other political parties would appear on its ballot paper.

Reacting to this on Wednesday, Sagagi told journalists that the party has instituted a contempt case before the state high court and it was still awaiting assigning to a judge.

He said the case is to commence contempt proceedings against the KANSIEC chairman and Lamido’s faction of the party for “impersonating the authentic PDP” and the use of the PDP logo on the ballot papers as declared by the KANSIEC chairman.

He said the declaration by Sheka showed that “the chairman of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission is either ignorant of the extant laws or he is just behaving like a politician.”

He added that “The faction claiming that it will participate in the coming local government elections earlier took the party to the court in Kano.

“On their request again, they transferred the case to Abuja before a vacation judge, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court and he gave his ruling on the 2nd of October 2020 that the National Executive Committee has the power to appoint, and whoever has the power to appoint has the power to reappoint and therefore dismissed their request, which means the law recognises only the leadership of the then caretaker committee under Honourable Danladi Umar Abdulhameed.”

He said his executive emerged after an election conducted by the Abdulhameed-led committee and has since been recognised by the national headquarters.

The KANSIEC chairman and factional group of the PDP in the state could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.