The hearing of a suit seeking to halt the allocation of statutory funds to the 44 local government councils in Kano State has been adjourned due to the absence of defense counsel, John Baiyeshea (SAN), at the Federal High Court in Kano.
The plaintiffs, Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by their lawyer Sunday Olowomoran Esq, filed an ex parte motion on October 28, 2024.
The defendants in the case include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Attorney General of the Federation, among others.
The plaintiffs seek a court order to prevent the federal government, CBN, and Accountant-General from disbursing funds to the 44 local governments in Kano.
They also seek a declaration that the leadership of these local governments was not democratically elected, contrary to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
During the resumed hearing on Monday, Justice Simon Amobeda informed the court that Baiyeshea (SAN), the counsel for the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), was indisposed for medical reasons and had requested an adjournment.
The judge then ordered that all applications requiring a response be filed before the next adjourned date, which is set for March 4, 2025.
Femi Falana (SAN), representing the Kano State Attorney General, informed the court that the plaintiffs had served them with six processes earlier on Monday.
The legal representatives for the Kano State Government and other respondents did not object to the adjournment.
Counsel for those seeking to be joined in the suit, Sadiqu Sammani-Lawan, stated that their clients, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the National Union of Teachers, and health workers have a significant interest in the case.
