By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano
Even with the heated political struggle leading up to the October 26 Local Government election, Kano, known to be the famously political-conscious state in Nigeria, remained calm and bubbling as at the eve and early hours of the exercise. Shortly after the Friday prayers, heavy security presence emerged around Government House and the headquarters of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), located along State Road.
Motorists and Pedestrians moving towards Hotoro and the Eastern By-Pass axis through State Road were redirected from Government House Riund-About to other accessible routes to their destinations.
Our Correspondent who moved around the metropolis observed a casual, but sensitised security presence. There were visible and steady police patrols across major streets.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Salman Dogo Garba, through a Statement signed by Kano State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, hinted that he had met with Operational Commanders and ordered them to ensure round-the-clock visibility patrols for effective crime prevention measures.
During the meeting, CP Dogo tasked Heads of Departments (HODs), Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to re-strategies efforts on fulfilling the Nigeria Police Force constitutional mandate of protection of lives and property, as well as maintaining law and order in Kano State.
The Police boss stressed the importance of proactive measures to prevent and respond to security threats. He directed the command’s operational commanders to enhance patrols: increase visibility and presence in high-risk areas; intensify intelligence gathering: share information and collaborate with communities.
He also urged them to ensure swift response to distress calls; foster community engagement: and build trust and partnerships with stakeholders.
According to him: “These steps are crucial to maintaining law and order, preventing criminal activities, and ensuring the safety of all the inhabitants in the State.
” The Police Command will remain committed to the protection of lives and properties. Residents can rest assured that the Police are actively working to protect their safety and provide a conducive atmosphere for all activities to unfold.
Our Correspondent reports that on Thursday, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under the auspices of the Citizen for Development and Education (CDE) and the Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) accused a Kano Federal High Court judge, Justice Simon Amobeda, of trying to truncate democracy through his judgements targeted at stopping Saturday’s Local Government elections in Kano state.
Justice Amobeda had sacked the chairman of KANSIEC, Prof. Sani Lawan Malunfashi and other Commissioners of the Commission in his ruling that they are card-carrying members of a political party.
But addressing journalists at Kano NUJ Press Centre, leaders of the CSOs, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya and Abdulrazak Alkali, insisted that the judgements of Justice Amobeda are not only capable of truncating democracy but can also cause socio-political unrest in Kano. According to Waiya who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, “Justice Amobeda should be held responsible if violence erupts before or during the scheduled state local government elections for granting orders that go against the interest of the government and people in the state”
On Friday, however, there was a new turn of events as a Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Sanusi Ma’aji, ordered KANSIEC to go ahead with the conduct of the local government election scheduled for Saturday. The court order was coming barely three days (Tuesday) after a Federal High Court sitting in the state restrained the electoral body from conducting the elections until the commission appointed a qualified Chairman, Secretary, Commissioners and others.
Justice Ma’aji while delivering his judgment in a suit filed by KANSIEC against APC and 18 other political parties, ruled that the electoral body has the power to conduct the polls. Justice Ma’aji averred that KANSIEC is empowered by the provision of the Constitution to conduct, supervise and hold local government elections across the 44 council areas.
He maintained that any attempt to truncate the process of the conduct of the poll amounts to nullity. Justice Ma’aji also ordered the security agencies to, as a matter of urgency ensure the protection of lives and property during the conduct of the election.
The Counsel to the plaintiffs, Rilwanu Umar SAN described the judgment as sound. Reacting to the judgment, the counsel to the 7th defendant (APC), Nura Adamu said they were not challenging the power of the electoral body to conduct the election, but the composition of the electoral body which contravenes the provision of the constitution and in provisions of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission laws 2001. He said they would study the judgment and decide the next line of action.
On his part, the Commission’s Commissioner on Legal and Voters Matters, Bar. Mukhtar Dandago while hailing the judgment, said the election will hold as scheduled and urged the people to come out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice. Fandango also said the commission has filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal challenging the Federal High Court judgment.
Briefing journalists at the KANSIEC headquarters on Friday, the (KANSIEC chairman, celebrated the Kano High Court’s latest judgement, describing it as a triumph to democracy and the Rule of Law. He told journalists that all arrangments have been concluded to conduct local government elections in the state on Saturday. He revealed that the main opposition party in the state, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has since pulled out of the race as they boycotted all electoral processes and guidelines set out by the Commission. According to him, six political parties are participating in the election including: AA, AAC, Accord Party, ADC, APM, and NNPP.
The KANSIEC chairman insisted that the Commission is carrying out its activities under the ambits of the law, “every activity of the Commission is procedural. We are not partisan.” He further urged KANSIEC staff and ad-hoc staff to resist any temptation of bribery and ensure that underage children are not allowed to vote. Prof. Malunfashi also reminded politicians that vote-buying, thuggery and other forms of violence contravene the state electoral guidelines. He maintained that all democrats and lovers of democracy expect that Friday’s Kano High Court judgement that gave a nod for the election to be held be respected.
In an interview with the Police Image-maker, SP Kiyawa, on the security situation, as Kano goes to Local government polls, he said: “Police are always there to maintain law and order; ensure the protection of lives and property across the 44 Local Government Areas of the states.” SP Kiyawa maintained that police move towards the compass of the Rule of Law. He urged residents to remain patriotic and law-abiding.