By; SULAIMAN AHMED MISAU, Katsina
Katsina State High Court has established three Local Government Election Petitions and Appeal Tribunal that will hear petitions and appeals arising from the conduct of local government elections held recently in the state.
On behalf of the State Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar, Justice Abbas Abdullahi Bawale revealed this during a press conference held at the premises of Katsina State High Court.
According to him, section seventy nine, eighty one, sub section two and eighty eight sub section one, two and three of the Local Government Councils Electoral Law 2022 conferred the State Chief Judge the power to establish the tribunals.
He added that the tribunals are for all the three zones, Katsina, Funtua and Daura.
However, Katsina and Funtua zones of the election tribunals are to sit at Katsina, while the Daura zone tribunal is to sit at Daura.
Justice Abbas Bawale explained that Funtua zone of the tribunal would be sitting in Katsina due to security reasons.
The venues of the tribunals are Katsina zone, Chief Magistrate court two along Muhammad Bello Road Katsina, Funtua zone, Chief Magistrate Court one Nagogo Road Katsina, while the venue for Daura zone election tribunal is High Court of Justice Complex, along Mai’adua/Kwamgwalam Road in Daura.
However, all processes in respect of the petitions are to be filed at the Secretariat of Local Government Elections Tribunal Katsina for ease of logistics.
Furthermore, practice direction issued by the State Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar pursuant to the relevant laws to guide the filing and conduct of Election Petition and Appeal are available at the Secretariat of the Local Government Election Tribunal, Katsina for end users.
The election tribunals have 90 days within which to determine petitions filed before it while the appeal tribunal has 30 days to determine appeal arising from the decision of the election tribunals.
