The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and ordered that it replaces the name of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau with Rufa’i Hanga as the Kano Central senatorial candidate.
It also affirmed Hanga as the Senator-elect of the district.
Hanga of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) took the place of Ibrahim Shekarau as a candidate for the Kano Senatorial district after the latter left the party.
A Federal High Court and Court of Appeal had ordered INEC to recognise Rufai Hanga as a replacement for Ibrahim Shekarau as Kano Central senatorial candidate of NNPP.
However, INEC printed Shekarau’s name on the ballot in an election where the NNPP emerged victorious.
In a lead judgement read by Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, the apex court ordered INEC to immediately recognize Rufai Sani Hanga as the Kano central senatorial candidate of NNPP.
This would pave a way for Hanga to receive the certificate of return from INEC.