The absence of defence counsel, John Baiyeshea (SAN), has stalled the hearing of a suit seeking to stop statutory allocations to the 44 Local Government Councils of Kano State at the Federal High Court in the state.

Recall that the plaintiffs Abdullahi Abbas, Aminu Aliyu-Tiga, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), through their counsel Sunday Olowomoran Esq, had filed a motion exparte dated October 28, 2024.

The defendants are CBN, Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Accountant-General of the Federation, Minister of Finance, Auditor General of the Federation, and Attorney General of the Federation.

Others are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Kano State Government, Attorney General Kano, Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) and the 44 Kano local governments.

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In the suit, the plaintiffs are asking the court to restrain the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Accountant-General of the Federation from releasing statutory funds to the 44 local government councils.

They are also seeking a declaration that the 44 local governments’ leadership are not democratically elected and constituted pursuant to Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

At the resumed sitting on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice Simon Amobeda, informed the court that counsel for KANSIEC, John Baiyeshea (SAN), was indisposed citing medical reasons and had sent a letter requesting an adjournment.

Justice Amobeda ordered that all applications requiring a response be filed and ready before the next adjourned date scheduled for March 4, 2025.

Counsel for the Kano State Attorney General, Femi Falana (SAN), informed the court that the plaintiffs had served them with six processes on Monday morning.

Falana, along with Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), counsel for the Kano State Government; B. D. Uche, counsel for the first, third, and seventh respondents; and H. M. Ma’aruf, did not object to the adjournment.

Responding, Mr Sadiqu Sammani-Lawan, Counsel representing parties seeking to be joined in the suit, indicated the interest of his clients.

“The interest of our client is very fundamental. They are the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the National Union of Teachers, and health workers,” he said.