Litigation Drama: Court Defers Decision On Kano’s Controversial LG Funding

The Federal High Court in Kano has postponed the hearing of a lawsuit seeking to halt statutory allocations to the 44 Local Government Councils in Kano State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The adjournment followed the absence of defence counsel, John Baiyeshea (SAN), who cited medical reasons and submitted a request for rescheduling.

The plaintiffs, Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by Sunday Olowomoran Esq, filed an ex parte motion dated October 28, 2024. Defendants in the case include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Auditor-General of the Federation, and the Attorney General of the Federation. Other defendants are 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 the 44 local governments in Kano.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to prevent the Federal Government, the CBN, and the Accountant-General of the Federation from disbursing statutory funds to the local government councils. They also seek a declaration that the councils’ leadership is not democratically elected as required by Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).

During Monday’s session, Justice Simon Amobeda, the presiding judge, noted the letter from Baiyeshea requesting an adjournment and instructed all parties to file and prepare their applications before the next hearing on March 4, 2025. Femi Falana (SAN), representing the Kano State Attorney General, confirmed receipt of six documents from the plaintiffs earlier that day.

Other counsel, including Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) for the Kano State Government and B. D. Uche for the first, third, and seventh respondents, did not oppose the adjournment. Sadiqu Sammani-Lawan, counsel for parties seeking to join the suit, highlighted the importance of his clients’ interests, representing groups like the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the National Union of Teachers, and health workers.