NNPP Heads To Court, Says ‘Callous, Wild’ Alhassan Doguwa Of APC Cost Party Kano Reps Seat

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has decided to challenge the outcome of Saturday’s Tudun Wada/Duguwa Federal Constituency election won by the detained Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, in Kano State.

In order to win the election, Doguwa was reported to have led thugs to raze the NNPP headquarters on election day, leading to the death of some members of the party. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate was also accused of shooting persons that tried to escape from the burning building.

He was arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport on Monday while allegedly trying to flee to Saudi Arabia.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Kiyawa, had said Doguwa was charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt, mischief by fire and inciting disturbance at a Kano State Magistrates’ Court.

The lawmaker was subsequently remanded in a correctional facility pending hearing of his bail application on March 7.

A statement made available to THE WHISTLER by an aide to the NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said the party will challenge Doguwa’s victory in the election in court.

“The NNPP wish (sic) to commend the effort of the police for taking a swift action in arresting and prosecuting Mr Doguwa who has traumatised families of his victims and indeed the general public by setting ablaze the Party’s office in Tudun Wada and allegedly shot score dead (sic),” the statement signed by the chief spokesperson of the NNPP Campaign council, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said.

According to Tofa, “while the collation of the election results were on in Tudun Wada Local Government INEC office which showed that the NNPP candidate for Tudun Wada/Duguwa Federal Constituency, Air Commodore Salisu Yushau, was recording success, some thugs sponsored by Ado Doguwa set our campaign office on fire, burning 13 members of the Party to death as evidenced in the video doing round the social media.

“Doguwa was allegedly sighted firing people with pistol and killed three innocent members of our Party. This was part of the sinister plans that paved way for vote rigging which saw him emerging winner by force.”

He added ”It is disheartening that Alhassan Ado Doguwa was brutally barbarous and ingrate (sic) to the people he has been consistently represented for nearly two decades at the Green Chamber, where he currently served as the Majority Leader of the House. It is therefore unfortunate that Doguwa, Nigeria’s number 8th citizen, is found wanting in a callous offense of this magnitude.

“Doguwa has been tolerated for so long as a reckless politician in Kano but no citizen’s life worth trade-off for the realisation of an individual’s political ambition. Therefore, we demand justice for our slain members and those who sustain injuries of various degrees.

“A freedom for wild Ado Doguwa, after orchestrated the atrocity against humanity and his political benefactors, poses threat to the public peace and functioning of democracy in Kano especially with the critical gubernatorial election ahead of us in less than two weeks’ time.

”We are set to challenge in court the election outcomes in Gwarzo/Kabo, Makoda/Dambatta and Tudun Wada/Doguwa where votes were violently rigged by the ruling APC. Also, to be challenged in court are the results from Bagwai/Shanono where the Election Returning Officer was forced to declare a winner in the election that was legally inconclusive.”