The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared erstwhile Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) as the winner of Kano Central Senatorial seat.

INEC Returning Officer, Professor Tijani Darma, who declared the results on Monday in Kano, said Shekarau polled 456,787 votes.

He defeated his closest rival, Abdulkarim Zaura of All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 168,677 votes and Laila Buhari of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who secured 55,237.

Shortly after the declaration, NNPP’S agent, Shehu Usman, accused INEC of refusing to replace Mr Shekarau who defected from the party to the PDP.

He lamented that despite a court order directing INEC to accept the name of a fresh candidate, Rufai Hanga the commission refused to comply.

Similarly, APC’s agent, Yusuf Atta, urged INEC to declare the party’s candidate, Abdulkarim Zaura, who came second as the winner because Mr Shekarau did not participate in the election.

However, INEC Returning Officer, Darma, urged them to report their complaints to INEC and the election tribunal that would be set up.

Mr Hanga did not make the final list of senatorial candidates released by INEC.

The electoral umpire instead published the name of Mr Shekarau as the NNPP candidate, arguing that he has yet to inform the commission officially that he has left the NNPP and was no longer its senatorial candidate.

INEC said until that was done, as required by the electoral act, it could not replace Mr Shekarau’s name. 

(NAN)