THE candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), Murtala Muhammad Kadage, has been declared elected to represent Garko Local Government in the Kano State House of Assembly by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The INEC Returning Officer, Professor Suleiman Mudi of Bayero University Kano, declared him the winner shortly after the re-run election held in three polling units across the local government area today.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, I hereby declare Murtala Muhammad Kadage of the NNPP as the winner of the Garko Local Government state assembly election supplementary election,” Professor Mudi said.
Due to over-voting, the re-run polling units were canceled, resulting in the initial cancellation of Kadage’s victory.
In the previous election, the INEC Returning Officer, Sani Safiyanu, declared Kadage Muhammad of the NNPP the winner with a 3,782 vote margin over his closest rival, Abba Ibrahim of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The electoral umpire, however, denied Kadage the certificate of return, saying that supplementary elections must be held in three polling units: Sanni Gabas I of Katumari Ward with 739 registered voters, Kutunka Arewa III of Sarina Ward with 747, and Zangon Barkono I of Sarina Ward with 729, for a total of 2,215.
This was less than the initial declared margin of 3,782 votes between the two candidates.
In response to his victory, Kadage thanked the people of Garko Local Government Area for their support and promised to work in their best interests.
“I am grateful to the people of Garko Local Government for their support, and I promise to work for their interests,” he said.
Meanwhile, the APC is yet to respond to the election results.
