From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Haruna Umar Doguwa has expressed optimism that the party’s Senate candidate, Rufai Hanga, would eventually be listed as the senator–elect for Kano Central.
Speaking to Daily Sun, the party chairman insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted in error to have announced a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Ibrahim Shekarau, as the winner of the Senate contest, despite the fact that he had been substituted by the party after his defection.
He argued that going by the Electoral Act, a candidate could be replaced after the deadline for substitution, either on account of death or by his own withdrawal, adding that it is a fact that Ibrahim Shekarau renounced his membership of the NNPP for the PDP.
He said the sequel to this, the party formally wrote to the Commission substituting Shekarau’s name with Rufai Hanga, regretting however that the Commission had been unyielding to the request.
He explained that the case was dragged to court and later to the appeal court adding that in both courts, the party was granted leave to replace the name of Shekarau as its candidate.
He hinted that the case was presented before the Supreme Court while expressing hope that they would reclaim their victory eventually.
Recall that the Commission had declared Ibrahim Shekarau the winner of the Kano Central Senatorial district election under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), despite his defection from the party.
Declaring the results, INEC Returning Officer, Professor Tijjani Darma had said he polled 456,787 votes, beating Abdulkarim Zaura of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 168,677 votes and Hajiya Laila Buhari of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came third with 55,237votes,” he had announced.