A Kano State High Court on Tuesday nullified the certificate of return issued to Alhaji Abdullahi Ghali-Shitu Basaf as Chairman of Kumbotso Local Government Council.

The applicant, Ali Musa-Danmalki, through his counsel, Mr S.B. Wadau and Mr Jazuli Mustafa, had filed an action against the respondents, challenging the decision of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to replace him after he won the party’s primary election.

Musa-Danmalki sought the court to affirm him as the rightful NNPP candidate and to declare his substitution as a violation of electoral processes. He also prayed the court to confirm his candidacy in the Kumbotso LGA polls.

He further alleged that despite an existing court order, the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) refused to comply and proceeded to swear in Ghali-Shitu Basaf as the duly elected chairman of Kumbotso LGA.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abdu Maiwada-Abubakar nullified the certificate of return issued to Ghali-Shitu Basaf, stating that it was predicated on disobedience of court orders.

“This honourable court sets aside all acts done by the respondents in violation of its orders,” the judge ruled.

Maiwada-Abubakar also directed KANSIEC to comply strictly with the court’s judgment delivered on Oct. 25, 2024, stressing that the sanctity of court orders must be upheld.

The respondents in the suit are the NNPP, Abdullahi Ghali-Shitu Basaf, and KANSIEC.

Our sources reports that Musa-Danmalki had earlier approached Kano High Court No. 4, presided over by Justice Usman Na’abba, seeking declaratory reliefs following his alleged wrongful substitution as NNPP candidate.

He maintained that despite being nominated, screened, cleared, and purchasing nomination forms to contest for the chairmanship position in Kumbotso LGA, his name was replaced with that of Ghali-Shitu.

Justice Na’abba, in a judgment delivered on Oct. 25, 2024, had affirmed Musa-Danmalki as the rightful NNPP candidate for the Kumbotso LGA chairmanship.