Ali Lawal Alhassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has been declared the winner of the Bagwai/Shanono State Constituency by-election in Kano State, defeating his closest rival from the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a margin of 10,851 votes.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhassan secured 16,198 votes, while the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, garnered 5,347 votes.
The by-election, conducted on Saturday, August 16, followed the death of Halilu Ibrahim Kundila, the former representative of the constituency, who passed away in April.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, announced the result early Sunday morning, declaring the NNPP candidate as duly elected.
“The candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner,” Prof. Shitu stated.
The victory strengthens NNPP’s grip on Kano State politics and reinforces the party’s rising dominance in the state.
However, the electoral process was marred by controversy. The APC and PDP both raised alarm over alleged violence and voter intimidation during the poll.
APC’s spokesperson, Felix Morka, called for a cancellation of the result, alleging that thugs disrupted voting in several polling units.
The Kano State Police Command confirmed that at least 100 suspects linked to political thuggery were arrested in Bagwai, while a total of 288 arrests were made across constituencies where by-elections were held.
Despite the tension, NNPP supporters took to social media to celebrate what they described as a “people’s victory.”
In his brief remarks after the announcement, Alhassan dedicated the win to the people of Bagwai and Shanono and pledged to prioritise legislation that addresses infrastructure, youth development, education, and healthcare.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
