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 Rufa’i Sani 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 to 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.
However, in their responses to the petition, the three respondents, INEC, Hanga, and NNPP, maintained that the election was validly conducted in accordance with extant laws.
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When the petition came up on Tuesday for the commencement of pre-trial, counsel to the petitioner, Dikko, told the court that Zaura listed 30 witnesses in totality among which 12 would be subpoenaed by the tribunal.
Counsel to Hanga and NNPP, Barrister Meshak Ikpe, informed the court that his clients would call three witnesses, while counsel to INEC, Barrister Abbas Haladu, told the court that the electoral body would defend its case with two witnesses.
The tribunal, after listening to all the parties, adjourned the sitting to Wednesday for the continuation of the pre-trial session.
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