By James Isaac
The Senator representing Kano Central, Rufai Hanga, has declared that Kano State firmly belongs to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), stressed that the people of the state have continued to demonstrate overwhelming support for the party.
Speaking while assessing the just-concluded bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hanga alleged that despite intimidation and a hostile security atmosphere, voters in Kano came out in their numbers to cast their ballots for the NNPP.
He further disclosed that the party will challenge the results announced in Tsanyawa and Gwale Local Government Areas, insisting that irregularities marred the exercise.
The lawmaker lamented the recurring culture of electoral thuggery, which he said has continued to undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s elections. According to him, such practices erode public trust in the democratic process and weaken electoral outcomes.
As part of his recommendations, Hanga urged that results should be counted and declared at polling units in the presence of voters, instead of being moved to collation centers where ballot boxes are often snatched and results manipulated.
“Once results are announced, it becomes very difficult for any party to contest them, as even the courts appear tilted in favor of the ruling government,” he noted.
Hanga also expressed his lack of confidence in INEC as an impartial electoral umpire, urging the commission to redeem its image. He called on the Federal Government to embark on radical reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral processes and safeguard the nation’s democracy.
