Tension mounts in Kano State as Independent National Electoral Commission excludes New Nigeria Peoples Party and Peoples Democratic Party from the by-election.
The poll is scheduled to hold in Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies to fill vacant seats in the State House of Assembly.
Abdul Zango, resident electoral commissioner in Kano, assured journalists of the commission’s readiness ahead of the exercise.
According to Zango, “All political parties were given equal opportunity to nominate candidates. The commission is fully prepared to conduct a transparent and credible election.”
However, the absence of major opposition parties has drawn sharp reactions.
Senator Mushud El-Jibril Doguwa, speaking for a faction of the NNPP, said, “We duly submitted our candidates for the Municipal and Ungogo constituencies, but INEC refused to recognise our party for reasons best known to them.”
He added, “This is a clear attempt to sideline us from the democratic process. We will not accept it. We are already consulting our lawyers and will institute legal action against INEC.”
Meanwhile, Yusuf Kibiya, Kano state chairman of the PDP, faulted the commission’s timeline.
According to Kibiya, “We were ready and willing to participate in this by-election. However, INEC only gave us four days to conduct our primaries and submit the names of candidates. That is not sufficient time, and it undermines the spirit of the law.”
