Nigeria’s Supreme Court has affirmed Rufai Hanga as Senator-Elect for the New Nigeria People’s Party, Kano Central Senatorial District.
The Apex court on Friday kicked out a former Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau as the candidate of the NNPP in the February 25 National Assembly Election.
Justice Emmanuel Agim while delivering Judgment In an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, upheld the Judgments of the federal high court and the court of appeal both in Abuja which had earlier upheld the candidature of Rufai Hanga as the candidate of the party.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court held that the INEC’s appeal lacked merit and substance and thereafter dismissed it in its entirety.
The Federal high court and the court of appeal had in their previous judgments upheld Rufai Hanga as the Senatorial Candidate of the NNPP for Kano Central following the withdrawal of Ibrahim Shekarau as a member of the party and Senatorial Candidate due to differences he had with the party.
Dissatisfied with the federal high court order, INEC appealed the judgment which it lost at the appellate court.
The electoral umpire also proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the concurrent findings of the two courts which upheld Rufai Hanga as the lawful candidate of the NNPP Kano Central Senatorial District.
The Supreme Court Judgment has therefore finally laid to rest the issue of the Senator-elect for the Kano Central Senatorial District in the February 25 elections.