A Federal High Court in Kano has dismissed a legal challenge brought by members of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), seeking to halt statutory allocations to all 44 local government councils in Kano State.
The suit, filed by APC stalwart Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the party itself, targeted several federal and state authorities, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the Kano State Government.
The plaintiffs argued that the local government councils were not democratically constituted in accordance with Section 7(1) of the Nigerian Constitution and sought to prevent the disbursement of public funds to them. However, during proceedings, counsel for the applicants made an oral request to withdraw the case, citing a Court of Appeal ruling on 30 June which stated that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction, and that the matter should be heard by the Kano State High Court instead.
Justice Simon Amobeda, presiding over the matter, ruled that although the applicants sought to discontinue the case, their notice came after a hearing date had already been fixed. He referenced Order 50, Rules 3–5 of the court’s procedural rules and opted for dismissal rather than a simple withdrawal to avoid future re-litigation.
“To avoid resuscitating the case in the future, the proper order to make is to dismiss the case,” Justice Amobeda ruled. “The suit is hereby dismissed, with no cost.”
Despite the court’s decision not to impose costs, several of the respondents had urged the judge to dismiss the suit with substantial financial penalties. Lawyers representing the CBN, RMAFC, and other government agencies requested varying sums—ranging from ₦1 million to ₦44 million—citing disruption, reputational damage, and legal expenses incurred.
Notably, the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) argued it had faced “psychological and physical trauma” as a result of the suit, stating that its office had been inaccessible for three months.
The case stemmed from a previous court order on 23 October 2024, which had halted local government elections scheduled for October 2025, following a ruling that the KANSIEC had been dissolved due to partisan bias and needed reconstitution before any elections could proceed.
