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Confusion as APC rejects Shekarau’s senatorial victory in Kano, heads to court

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has rejected the victory of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Kano Central Senatorial Candidate, Ibrahim Shekarau, in the February 25 National Assembly elections.

The party also dismissed as misleading the reports that the Supreme Court had affirmed Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga as the rightful winner of the election having sacked Shekarau.

The Chairman of APC in Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, in a statement on Saturday, insisted Shekarau was unqualified for the election.

Abbas added that the ruling party had directed its legal team to challenge his victory at the election tribunal.

The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt and in order to set the record straight as well as properly informing the general public about the clear facts and circumstances, the subject matter of the civil action before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division (Coram: Honourable Justice Z.B. Abubakar) in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1632/2022, N.N.P.P. v. I.N.E.C, which culminated in the Supreme Court’s decision delivered today, had absolutely nothing to do with the declaration and return of Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga as the winner of the 2023 General Election for the member of the Senate representing Kano Central Senatorial District of Kano State.

“Furthermore, and importantly so, neither Senator Ibrahim Shekarau nor Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga were parties to the case which was the subject of the Supreme Court’s Judgement and it is an elementary principle of law that Judgement cannot be delivered in favour of a person who is not a party to a suit or appeal.

Read also:S’Court sacks ex-Gov Shekarau as senator-elect

“Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga who was never a candidate in the just concluded election cannot be declared and returned as the winner of the said election. Doing so, will amount to an affront to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“By the law, INEC has already declared Senator Ibrahim Shekarau as the winner of the 2023 General Election and as such cannot make a second declaration and return of another person as the winner of the same election.

“The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, has in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, written to INEC appealing to it to review its decision on the declaration and return of Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, who was not qualified to contest as at the time of the conduct of the election.

“However, INEC having failed to exercise its powers of review under Section 65 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, despite the appeal from us, the party and its candidate had directed its team of lawyers to approach the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for redress to reclaim the mandate of the party lawfully entitled to it and its candidate by the majority of the lawful vote cast at the election.”

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