Kano LG Funds Case Faces another Setback in Federal Court

From Maijidda Tafida Hallairu, Kano

The absence of the 9th Defense Counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, on Tuesday, stalled the hearing of a suit seeking to halt statutory allocations to Kano State’s 44 Local Government Councils.

The applicants Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu Tiga, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) filed the motion ex parte on Nov. 1, 2024, through their counsel, Sunday Olowomoran. The suit names the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Accountant-General of the Federation, and several other government bodies as respondents.

The applicants argue that the 44 local councils in Kano are not democratically constituted as required by the 1999 Constitution and seek a court order to stop federal allocations to them.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Kano, expressed frustration over repeated adjournments, noting that Awomolo had requested a postponement until after the Easter vacation. "This is the last adjournment I will grant in this case," Amobeda warned, setting April 14 for a definite hearing.

A similar delay occurred on Jan. 21 when the counsel to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), John Baiyeshea, SAN, sought an adjournment due to medical reasons.

Counsel to KANSIEC, Baiyeshea, along with the applicants’ counsel, Abdul Adamu Fagge, SAN, and representatives of other respondents, supported the adjournment request in the interest of justice.

Justice Amobeda ordered that all legal processes be filed and served before the next hearing date.