The National/State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kano, on Tuesday, has fixed July 24, 2023, to deliver judgement in a petition between the Senatorial candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Kano Central, Alhaji Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura and the Senator-elect Alhaji Rufa’i Sani Hanga of New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).
Zaura is challenging the declaration of Hanga as winner of the Kano Senatorial election conducted on 25th February 2023 by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
On Tuesday, the Tribunal adjourned the matter until July 24 2023 for judgment after the petitioners and respondents adopted their final written addresses.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Counsel to INEC, Barrister Abbas Haladu, in his final written address dated 10th June and filed on 12th June 2023, urged the court to dismiss the petition.
Also on his part, Counsel to Rufa’i Sani Hanga and his party NNPP, Barrister Meshak Ikpe, filed their written addresses, dated and filed 9th June 2023 urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.
According to him, “We are hereby adopting same as our Final Written Adresses and urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition.”
The counsel to Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Mr Ismail Abdulaziz, on the other hand, filed his final written address dated and filed 13th June 2023 and urged the court to also dismiss the petition.
However, while adopting his final written address, on behalf of the Petitioner, Abdussalam Zaura, Nuraini Jimoh SAN said he filed his Final Written Address, dated and filed 12th June 2023 and urged the court to allow the petition and grant all the reliefs sought.
The parties in the petition include: Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura and APC as petitioners.
While other parties include: INEC (1st Respondent), Rufa’i Sani Hanga (2nd Respondent), NNPP (3rd Respondent), and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (4th Respondent).
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