Kano Bye-elections: It’s 50-50 Between NNPP, APC, And Technical Knock-Out For ADC, PDP

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

After calling for the cancellation of the By-election held in Bagwai/Shanono Kano State Constituency on Saturday August 16, the All Progressive Congress APC, was on Sunday, August 17,   declared winner in the Ghari/Tsanyawa re-run Election in the state.

The Source reports that Ghari/Tsanyawa re-run which had defied two previous attempts owing to acts of thuggery and violence and Bagwai/Shanono were the two polls conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in Kano on Saturday, August 16.

According to the result announced by the INEC Returning Officer, Adamu Shittu, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP,  secured victory in Bagwai/Shanono, leaving the two main rival parties- the NNPP and APC to win a Constituency each.

Ali Hassan Kiyawa of the NNPP ,in the result declared early Sunday morning , polled 16,198 votes to defeat his closet opponent, APC’s Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who garnered a total of 5,347 votes to place second.

In Ghari/Tsanyawa re-run, Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC,was declared winner by the Returning Officer  Prof Muhammad Waziri with a total votes of 31,472 .

His NNPP rival Yusuf Ali Maigado , received 27,931 to  come second ,in the election that has been widely acknowledged to be competitive.

The Source further reports that the Ghari/Tsai re-run election was to select the representative of the area in the State House of Assembly where the people had since 2023 not had a voice .

The first election which held same day as in other parts of the country during the 2023 general elections ended in a  fiasco ,as large scale violence and acts of destruction characterized the exercise.

The same fate, even in higher proportion, also, marred the second attempt late 2023 .

Since then, the constituents ,have been without a representative at the Kano State House of Assembly.

Conversely, the Bagwai/Shanono vacuum was created by the death of  APC’s Hon Ali Ibrahim Kundila .

Instructively, his death in April 2024, paved the way for the ruling NNPP in the state to secure the passage of the “Amended Emirate Council Bill” that reinstalled Emir Sanusi Lamido as the 16th Emir of Kano on Thursday May 23 2024 by Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf.