A Federal High Court in Kano has postponed a case seeking to stop the allocation of funds to the 44 local government areas in the state.
The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, was delayed because Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, who represents the ninth defence counsel, was absent.
The case was brought by Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They had filed an ex parte motion on November 1, 2024, through their lawyer, Sunday Olowomoran.
The lawsuit lists several government bodies and officials as respondents, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Account Allocation Committee, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Auditor General of the Federation, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Others involved include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Kano State Government, the Attorney General of Kano, the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), and all 44 local government councils in the state.
The plaintiffs argue that the 12th to 55th respondents were not democratically elected, as required by Section 7(1) of the Constitution.
They are asking the court to stop the Federal Government, the CBN, and the Accountant-General from releasing statutory funds to the local councils.
During the proceedings, Justice Simon Amobeda acknowledged Awomolo’s request for an adjournment due to his absence.
However, he noted that the case had already faced multiple delays and insisted that this would be the final postponement. The judge also instructed all parties to submit necessary documents before the next hearing.
The court has now set April 14, 2025, for the final hearing. This is not the first delay in the case. A previous hearing on January 21, 2025, was postponed due to the absence of KANSIEC’s legal representative, John Baiyeshea.
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