Supreme Court Sacks Shekarau, Affirms Ruffai As Kano Central Senator-Elect
The Supreme Court on Friday sacked Senator Ibrahim Shekarau as Senator Elect for Kano Central Senatorial District under the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party and recognised Senator Rufa’i Hanga as the party’s candidate in the February 25 National Assembly election.
In a unanimous judgement, Justice Inyang Okoro-led five-member panel of the court faulted INEC’s refusal to replace Shekarau with Hanga after the former left the party for PDP before the election.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment, written by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the INEC appeal.
The court, however, upheld the two earlier concurrent judgments by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, both in Abuja, that affirmed Hanga as the authentic candidate of NNPP.
Shekarau, a sitting senator was in the NNPP and was nominated to vie for the senatorial position under its platform.
However, before the elections, he announced his defection from the NNPP and abandoned his senatorial ambition to join the People’s Democratic Party.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission later insisted that it still recognised him as the legitimate NNPP candidate, even though the party replaced him with Hanga.
Shekarau, who is going to the red chamber for the second time, was declared by the returning officer of the senatorial district, Professor Tijjani Darma.
According to INEC, Shekarau polled 456,787 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Alhaji Abdulkarim Zaura, who polled 168,677 votes. and recognised Senator Rufa’i Hanga as the party’s candidate in the February 25 National Assembly election.
In a unanimous judgement, Justice Inyang Okoro-led five-member panel of the court faulted INEC’s refusal to replace Shekarau with Hanga after the former left the party for PDP before the election.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment, written by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the INEC appeal.
The court, however, upheld the two earlier concurrent judgments by the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, both in Abuja, that affirmed Hanga as the authentic candidate of NNPP.
Shekarau, a sitting senator was in the NNPP and was nominated to vie for the senatorial position under its platform.
However, before the elections, he announced his defection from the NNPP and abandoned his senatorial ambition to join the People’s Democratic Party.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission later insisted that it still recognised him as the legitimate NNPP candidate, even though the party replaced him with Hanga.
Shekarau, who is going to the red chamber for the second time, was declared by the returning officer of the senatorial district, Professor Tijjani Darma.
According to INEC, Shekarau polled 456,787 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Alhaji Abdulkarim Zaura, who polled 168,677 votes.
