Senator Rufai Hanga of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has been declared Senator-elect for Kano Central Senatorial District by the supreme court today.
The court maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s appeal lacked merit and substance and therefore dismissed it in its entirety, in the Judgment prepared by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji but delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
The court removed Ibrahim Shekarau as the candidate of the NNPP in the February 25 National Assembly Election.
In an appeal brought before it by the country’s electoral umpire, the supreme court upheld the rulings of a federal high court and the court of appeal both in Abuja which had earlier maintained the candidature of Hanga as the candidate of the NNPP.
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In their previous judgment, the Federal high court and the court of appeal had upheld Rufai Hanga as the Senatorial Candidate of the NNPP for Kano Central following Ibrahim Shekarau’s withdrawal as a party member and Senatorial Candidate due to differences he had with the party.
The INEC, rather than obeying the federal high court order, took it upon itself and appealed the judgment at the end of which it lost at the appellate court.
The electoral body not satisfied with the judgement of the lower court, approached the supreme court to challenge the decisions. Both courts had affirmed Hanga as the lawful candidate of the NNPP Kano Central Senatorial District.