The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission has scheduled local government elections for November 30, 2024.
The announcement was made by the Commission’s Chairman, Sani Malumfashi, during a news conference in Kano on Wednesday.
Nomination forms for the elections will be available from October 1 to October 11, with the deadline for submission set for October 18. The screening of candidates will take place from October 18 to October 20, and the list of eligible candidates will be published on October 24.
Malumfashi outlined that the results of the elections are expected to be announced by December 10, 2024. He emphasized that this timeline aligns with Section 103, Subsections 3 and 1 of the Electoral Act, as well as the powers conferred on the Commission under Paragraph 3(4) of Part II, Third Schedule, Section 3(1) of the Kano Local Government Law 2004.
The elections come in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments. The Commission has also issued regulations prohibiting candidates from placing their posters on places of worship, schools, and government buildings, with penalties for non-compliance.
Malumfashi assured that all 19 political parties in the state are expected to participate and that the Commission will collaborate with security agencies to ensure a peaceful election process.
With Kano having 44 local governments and over 7 million voters, the Commission plans to recruit approximately 13,000 ad-hoc staff to manage the 11,000 polling units.