Kano LG polls: Court sets to deliver judgment in PDP suit

A High Court presided over by the Acting Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Nura Sagir, is set to rule in a case between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC).
PDP had dragged KANSIEC to court, asking it to stop the scheduled February 10 local government elections and as well compel it to reduce charges for forms and other stringent measures on tax clearance.
KANSIEC had announced that each candidate contesting for chairmanship would pay N250, 000 and N150 as charges for forms and tax clearance, while councillorship candidates would pay N150, 000 and N110 for similar charges.
But PDP Chairman in the state, Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa, lamented the high charges.
He said, “By our calculations, if we are to go by this arrangement, PDP is expected to spend at least N450, 000 on each chairmanship candidate and his vice and N300, 000 on each councilor.
“We have 44 local government areas in the state. Therefore, we are expected to pay KANSIEC N39.6m for our 88 members vying for chairmanship.
“Again, the party will spend not less than N300, 000 on each councilor; and we have 484 wards across the state.
“We are expected to pay the electoral body the sum of N145.2m for our councillorship candidates. In total, PDP is to pay KANSIEC N184.8m to allow its candidates contest in the forthcoming polls.”
A High Court presided over by the Acting Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Nura Sagir, is set to rule in a case between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC).
PDP had dragged KANSIEC to court, asking it to stop the scheduled February 10 local government elections and as well compel it to reduce charges for forms and other stringent measures on tax clearance.
KANSIEC had announced that each candidate contesting for chairmanship would pay N250, 000 and N150 as charges for forms and tax clearance, while councillorship candidates would pay N150, 000 and N110 for similar charges.
But PDP Chairman in the state, Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa, lamented the high charges.
He said, “By our calculations, if we are to go by this arrangement, PDP is expected to spend at least N450, 000 on each chairmanship candidate and his vice and N300, 000 on each councilor.
“We have 44 local government areas in the state. Therefore, we are expected to pay KANSIEC N39.6m for our 88 members vying for chairmanship.
“Again, the party will spend not less than N300, 000 on each councilor; and we have 484 wards across the state.
“We are expected to pay the electoral body the sum of N145.2m for our councillorship candidates. In total, PDP is to pay KANSIEC N184.8m to allow its candidates contest in the forthcoming polls.” NAN