National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano has upheld the victory of Senator Rufa’i Hanga as the elected member of the Kano Central Senatorial District.
Daily Trust reported that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, senatorial election in Kano Central, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura, has filed a petition at the election petition tribunal in Kano challenging the declaration of Hanga of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the winner of the election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Zaura, through his counsel, Ishaka Dikko (SAN), prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner of the election and set aside the INEC declaration that announced Hanga as the winner of the poll.
He alleged that the Kano Central senatorial poll was marred by irregularities, malpractices, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
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However, in their responses to the petition, the three respondents, INEC, NNPP, Hanga, and Ibrahim Shekarau maintained that the election was validly conducted in accordance with extant laws.
Delivering the judgement on Monday, the three-man panel led by Justice I.P Chima said, “The petitioner failed to prove non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 therefore the petition is hereby dismissed.
“Consequently, the petitioner is to pay the second respondent NNPP the sum of N300,000 cost and also to pay first, second, third and fourth respondents the sum of N300,000.”
