NNPP Gives Update On Fate Of Shekarau As Senator-elect

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali says the matter regarding the Kano Central Senatorial seat is currently before the Supreme Court.

He added that the NNPP is waiting for the verdict of the apex court before taking the next step but expressed optimism that the party would be able to reclaim the seat from former Kano Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.

Alkali disclosed that the Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver judgment on an appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday this week.

It would be recalled that Shekarau defected to the NNPP and got the party’s ticket for the senatorial seat but again resigned from the party shortly before the election.

However, INEC refused to accept a new person for the position as it maintained that the period for substitution had closed.

Shekarau was later declared as the winner of the February 25 election by INEC but he didn’t attend the presentation of the certificate of return conducted by the electoral umpire on Tuesday.

Explaining the situation in a chat with The Nation, Alkali said Shekarau resigned from the party and withdrew his senatorial ambition on the platform of the party just when the window substitution had closed, but INEC refused to accept the new candidate presented by the party for the election.

He added that the matter was taken to court and both the high court and the appeal court gave a ruling in favour of the party.

“INEC said there are two conditions resignation and death. They said since the window had closed for substitution, death is the only condition for substitution. ()

” We went to the lower court and got judgement in our favour. But rather than implement the court judgement, INEC went to the Court of Appeal and again, we won. They went to the Supreme Court again. We are expecting the Supreme Court judgement on Friday.

“However, our Kano state office has gone to court to ask for relief stopping Shekarau from accepting the Certificate of Return. I guess that is why he was not there to receive it yesterday.

“The party is the one that is voted for and not the individual. So, we expect justice to be done,” he said.