The New Nigeria People’s Party in Kano State has rejected the outcome of the Tsanyawa/Ghari State Constituency by-election, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission of conniving with “unpatriotic politicians” to subvert the will of the people.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s State Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, the NNPP described the declaration of the All Progressives Congress candidate as winner as “unacceptable and a clear case of disenfranchisement”.
“We cannot condone the level of manipulations orchestrated in Tsanyawa/Ghari. The people trooped out massively to vote for the NNPP candidate, only for their mandate to be stolen at the INEC headquarters,” Dungurawa said.
He argued that election results ought to have been declared at the constituency collation centre, noting that INEC’s decision to announce the results at its state headquarters opened the door for manipulation. According to him, “All presiding officers in the ten polling units affected already signed their results at their respective collation centres. Only presiding officers have powers to cancel results, not INEC officials sitting in Kano.”
Dungurawa also faulted the “reversion” to earlier results that were nullified by the Court of Appeal, which had ordered a rerun in the ten polling units. “This decision completely disenfranchised voters and discredited the image of INEC as the highest electoral umpire,” he stated.
While commending voters for remaining peaceful and resolute, the party vowed to pursue justice through every legal means. “We will not fold our arms while injustice and favouritism are used to rob our party of victory,” the NNPP chairman vowed.
The party, however, acknowledged that elections in Shanono/Bagwai were credible because “results were declared at the collation centres”, warning that it would resist any attempt to rewrite those outcomes.
“We salute the courage of our people who came out massively to vote for the NNPP in all rerun and by-elections,” the statement added.