Supreme Court orders INEC to recognize Hanga as NNPP Senatorial candidate
The Federal High Court and Court of Appeal had also ruled in favour of Rufai Hanga
By Oloyede Emmanuel
The Supreme Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace the name of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau with Rufai Hanga as the Kano Central senatorial candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the winner of February 25th, 2023 National Assembly election
Last week when INEC was issuing the certificate of return to elected winners of National Assembly, the name of Malam Shekarau who was a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) was announced, instead of Alhaji Hanga, who contested on the platform of NNPP
According to INEC, the name of Malam Shekarau was the one submitted to INEC before he defected to the PDP and when the NNPP applied for Alhaji Hanga to be substituted for Malam Shekarau, INEC said the window opportunity for replacement had closed.
In its bid to reclaim the mandate, NNPP went to court to obtain an order compelling INEC to recognize the name of Alhaji Hanga as the authentic candidate of the party
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and instructed them to replace the name of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau with Rufai Hanga as the Kano Central senatorial candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
This decision comes after the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal also ruled that Rufai Hanga should be recognised as the replacement for Ibrahim Shekarau in the Kano Central senatorial race.
The lead judgement was delivered by Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, who ordered INEC to immediately acknowledge Rufai Sani Hanga as the Kano Central senatorial candidate for the NNPP.
