The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over its refusal to allow the Party name a candidate for Kano Central District in next year’s National Assembly election.
It would be recalled that the candidate for the position, Ibrahim Shekarau decamped and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, following irreconcilable differences with the NNPP’s Presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Mr Kwankwaso, in an interview with the Radio Deutsche Welle Hausa Service, said that INEC has not replaced Mr. Shekarau’s name with the Party’s new candidate, Mr. Rufa’i Hanga, adding that the Party submitted the name to the electoral body after Mr. Shekarau’s defection from the NNPP.
Mr Kwankwaso said “We have conducted (fresh) primary election where we elected Rufa’i Sani Hanga, as a replacement and if INEC can do justice to us, based on the constitution, the time for the replacement of candidates is not yet over.
“We have taken the matter to court because INEC did not understand the process. The court will make them understand it,” Mr Kwankwaso said.
INEC’s head of legal department in Kano State, Suleiman Tahir, however said that the former governor of the Kano State Mr. Shekarau, is yet to inform it officially that he has left the NNPP and is no longer its candidate for the district as required by the electoral act, thus it cannot replace his name with another person.
“The new electoral law said once your name was initially displayed, before displaying the final list, a candidate will write INEC officially, attach his photos, notifying the INEC (his/her) withdrawal from the contest, or in the event someone dies. These are the only two instances one can withdraw once his name was initially displayed.
“Mr Shekarau did not do any of the above, Mr Tahir said.
It would be recalled that Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP in what he described as alleged “betrayal of trust” by the NNPP Presidential candidate and because his supporters were not accommodated in elective positions in the party.
N.O
