Key highlights
- Voters in Kano trooped out en mass to cast their votes in Kano State where the NNPP is expected to consolidate on its winning wave during the presidential election.
- Election personnel and materials arrived as early as 8 a.m. at various polling centres.
- Shops, shopping malls, restaurants and other places of human endeavour remained.
The ancient city of Kano recorded high early turnout for the 2023 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Kano. amid residents’ eagerness to cast their votes.
Nairametrics gathered that residents of Municipal and Nasarawa Local Government Areas of Kano State thronged their polling units as early as 7 a.m.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reported that election personnel and materials also arrived as early as 8 a.m. at various polling centres especially at the Emir’s Palace, Kwalli Police Station, School For Arabic Studies and the Old Kano State Library, they added”
More details: Other polling units that witnessed a high turnout of voters include those located in Gidan Makama Primary School, Unguwar Gini Comprehensive Health Centre, Magwan Primary School and Government Junior Secondary School, Race Course.
Similarly, security was tight in all the areas visited with military personnel, the Police, Civil Defence, FRSC and other operatives manning major streets and screening people as they approached the polling stations.
The report added there was total compliance with the order restricting the movement of unauthorized vehicles in the city with the streets virtually deserted as Shops, shopping malls, restaurants and other places of human endeavour remained closed in compliance with the police order, adding:
- “Voter turnout was impressive as people came out early to cast their votes under a conducive atmosphere.”
In case you missed it: Recall that Nairametrics reported that the Supreme Court has sacked Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Governor of Kano State, as the senatorial candidate of the NNPP in the February 25 National Assembly election.
The apex court upheld the candidature of Rufai Hanga as the senatorial candidate of the NNPP for Kano Central following Shekarau’s withdrawal as a member of the party and senatorial candidate.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Federal High Court and the appellate court which upheld the candidature of Hanga as the candidate of the party.
A five-member panel of the court led by Justice Inyang Okoro ruled that INEC was wrong to have refused to replace Shekarau with Hanga. Consequently, the apex court dismissed INEC’s appeal.
- Though Shekarau had written to INEC informing them about his decision to resign from the NNPP, INEC still printed the ballot paper with Shekarau on it.
- INEC subsequently revealed that Shekarau’s name will still be on the ballot paper because his withdrawal from the party came later than as provided for in the Electoral Act.
- After the election, Shekarau was announced to have polled 456,787 votes defeating the APC candidate who polled 168, 677 votes.
- NNPP approached the Federal High Court in Kano and the court ruled in favour of Hanga. The court recognized Hangar as the party’s candidate.
- Dissatisfied with the judgement, INEC appealed the decision and the court of appeal also affirmed Hanga as the lawful candidate of the NNPP Kano Central Senatorial District.