NNPP maintains grip on Kano assembly, defeats APC in Bagwai/Shanono by-election

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has won the Bagwai/Shanono state constituency by-election in Kano.

Hassan Adamu Shitu, returning officer for the election, announced the result on Sunday.

Shitu said Ali Hassan Kiyawa of the NNPP scored 16,198 votes to defeat Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 5,347 votes.

Halilu Ibrahim Kundila, the former lawmaker representing the constituency, died in April 2024. He was a member of the APC.

The election victory means the NNPP maintains its dominance of the state assembly with 26 members while the APC has 14.

On Saturday, the APC asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the elections in the state.

Felix Morka, APC national publicity secretary, said the exercise was “marred by extreme violence and disruption caused by armed gangs at several polling units”.

The APC spokesperson claimed that reports from Shanono, Bagwai and Ghari showed that voters fled polling areas as security operatives struggled to contain the situation.

Audu Zango, the Kano resident electoral commissioner (REC), also said more than 100 suspected political thugs were arrested during the Bagwai by-election.

Ladipo Johnson, NNPP publicity secretary, condemned the call to cancel the polls and said the APC’s request was frivolous and bereft of facts and reality.

Johnson insisted that the by-elections were free, fair, credible and peaceful, noting that, by virtue of Kano being an NNPP stronghold, it was unimaginable that the results could have swung in another direction.