By-election: Opposition kicks in Kano, APC clears Rivers assembly seats

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday shunned the by-election for the Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituencies in Kano State.

This is as the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ahoada East Constituency 2 and Khana Constituency 2, Napoleon Ukalikpe, and Burabari Loloo, respectively, were declared winners of the House of Assembly by-election in Rivers State by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

According to the Kano opposition parties, irregularities, fears of violence, and procedural arrangements allegedly favouring the ruling APC forced them out of the polls.

The by-election was held to fill the two vacant seats following the deaths of Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo and Sarki Aliyu Daneji, both elected on the NNPP platform, who died on the same day in December 2025.

The State Chairman of the ADC, Musa Ungogo, said the party exercised restraint to preserve peace, particularly during the Ramadan period.

“We are trying to avoid unnecessary violence in the state. It is the month of Ramadan, and we are trying to avoid anything that could disrupt the peace,” he said.

Ungogo alleged that the rerun was structured to favour the ruling party, saying, “They will manipulate the election and hand it over to the ruling party. We will not be part of such an arrangement.”

The ADC chairman maintained that with barely 13 to 14 months remaining before the 2027 general elections, the party would rather focus on broader political strategies than participate in what he described as a flawed rerun.

Similarly, the State Chairman of the PDP, Yusuf Kibiya, condemned the conduct and structure of the rerun election, describing the process as skewed in favour of the APC.

Kibiya noted that the party formally complained to the electoral commission but received no response. He expressed optimism that the judiciary would address the party’s grievances.

On his part, the SDP chairman said, “It is shameful. The entire structure of the election favours only the ruling party. The Resident Electoral Commissioner sent us a letter on Friday, asking us to conduct a primary election just four days before the poll. That is practically impossible.

“We submitted our complaint to him in a letter, but he ignored it. We have also copied the national office for necessary action. We are going to court, and we are hopeful that justice will be done.”

Also, the NNPP spokesperson in the state, Ibrahim Baraya, noted that the party deliberately shunned the rerun elections because the candidates fielded by the APC were originally its nominees before defecting, and the party chose not to substitute them.

“They are the sons of the deceased lawmakers. After their death, the NNPP national leader selected them to replace their fathers. We do not have any problem with them. Even the governor was elected under the platform of the NNPP. We know they were forced to join the APC,” he said.

The State Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, attributed the low voter turnout to the timing of the election during Ramadan and the perception that the exercise is a minor poll.

“Two things are responsible for the voter apathy, which include Ramadan and the nature of the election, which people see as not a big one,” Zango said.

He added that the exercise was peaceful and there were no security issues following the deployment of adequate security personnel.

Meanwhile the state Governor, Abba Yusuf, has commended INEC and security agencies for what he described as the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa, the governor described the exercise as a significant milestone in Kano’s democratic journey.

Yusuf noted that the calm atmosphere recorded across polling units reflected the growing political maturity of the electorate and the effectiveness of security arrangements deployed for the exercise.

He specifically applauded residents of Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Assembly constituencies, where the election took place for their discipline, cooperation and commitment to peaceful participation.

The governor also commended political parties and other stakeholders, particularly members of the APC for adhering to electoral guidelines and refraining from actions that could have disrupted the process.

“For the first time in recent history, we witnessed an election free of crisis, use of weapons and any form of manipulation in Kano. This development aligns with our Kano First Agenda. The era of killing, maiming and disenfranchising voters is over,” Yusuf was quoted as saying.