Yesterday in Abuja, the Supreme Court confirmed Malam Rufai Hanga as the Senator-elect for the Kano Central Senatorial District of Kano State on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
The Supreme Court barred Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Kano State governor and former Minister of Education, from running as the NNPP’s candidate in the February 25 National Assembly election.
In its decision in an appeal brought before it by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Supreme Court maintained the rulings of a Federal High Court and a Court of Appeal, both in Abuja, which had previously upheld Hanga’s candidacy as the party’s Senate candidate.
The Supreme Court held that the INEC’s appeal lacked merit and substance and hence dismissed it in its entirety in a ruling written by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji but delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim.
In prior rulings, the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal affirmed Hanga as the NNPP’s Senate Candidate for Kano Central, following the withdrawal of Ibrahim Shekarau as a member of the party and Senatorial Candidate due to irreconcilable disputes with the party leadership.
Rather than complying with the Federal High Court ruling, the INEC took the initiative and filed an appeal, which it lost at the Appellate Court.
Not pleased with the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal decisions, the electoral umpire petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the two courts’ concurrent verdict, which maintained Hanga as the legitimate candidate of the NNPP Kano Central Senatorial District.
As a result, the Supreme Court decision has put to rest the thorny issue of who is the genuine Senator elected for Kano Central Senatorial District in the February 25 elections.
