The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Rufai Hanga as senator-elect for Kano Central senatorial district on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

In the judgment prepared by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji but delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court held that the INEC’s appeal lacked merit and substance and therefore dismissed it.

The court kicked out ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau as the candidate of the NNPP in the February 25 federal parliamentary election.

Delivering the judgment in an appeal brought before it by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the apex court upheld the judgments of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal Abuja Division, which had earlier upheld the candidature of Mr Hanga as the flag bearer of the party.

In their previous judgment, the high court and the appellate court had upheld Mr Hanga as the senatorial candidate of the NNPP for Kano Central after the withdrawal of Mr Shekarau as a member of the party and senatorial candidate due to irreconcilable differences he had with the party.

However, rather than obeying the high court’s order, INEC took it upon itself and appealed the judgment but lost at the appellate court.

Not satisfied with the judgments of the two courts, INEC proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the concurrent findings of the two courts, which upheld Mr Hanga as the lawful candidate of the NNPP Kano Central senatorial district.

(NAN)