The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State has rejected the outcome of the rerun election for the Tsanyawa/Ghari State Assembly constituency, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulation and bias.
The state chairman of NNPP, Hashimu Suleman Dungurawa, who addressed journalists in Kano, alleged that the process was compromised in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
He described the declaration of results at the INEC headquarters in Kano as a clear violation of electoral procedures and a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise the electorate.
According to Dungurawa, the Appeal Court had earlier nullified results in ten polling units and ordered fresh elections.
He argued that despite peaceful voting in those units, INEC cancelled them entirely and instead reverted to the old results that were already nullified by the court.
“This is unacceptable and amounts to robbing the people of Tsanyawa/Ghari of their mandate,” he said.
The NNPP leader insisted that elections are supposed to be declared at the constituency collation centre and not at the state headquarters, accusing some politicians of colluding with INEC officials to subvert the will of the people.
He stressed that all presiding officers in the affected polling units had signed results at their respective centres, which in his view made the subsequent cancellations illegal.
Dungurawa further argued that the development had tarnished the credibility of INEC, describing the action as “a show of unpatriotic conduct, disenfranchisement of voters, and outright stealing of mandate.”
He vowed that the NNPP would continue to resist injustice, favoritism, and manipulation, adding that no politician should use “federal might” to undermine democracy in Kano State.
He contrasted the disputed rerun in Tsanyawa/Ghari with the bye-election in Shanono/Bagwai, which he said was transparently conducted and declared at the constituency collation centre. According to him, that process showed that credible elections are possible when stakeholders respect the rules.
While commending security agencies and constituents for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere during the rerun and bye-elections, Dungurawa praised NNPP supporters for turning out massively.
He assured them that the party would continue to defend their votes and stand against what he called “undue manipulations of the people’s will.”