INEC deletes Doguwa’s name as Reps member-elect, replaces Sokoto REC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deleted the name of the House of Representatives Majority Leader, Alhassan Doguwa, from the list of elected House members for the 10th National Assembly.

The Guardian check, yesterday, on list of the members-elect revealed that the commission removed Doguwa’s name because he was declared winner of the election under duress.

INEC had earlier announced Doguwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 House of Representatives election in the Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State.

The commission announced him as having polled 39,732 to defeat Yushau Abdullahi of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who polled 34,798. Doguwa was also arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of two persons and burning of NNPP Secretariat during the February 25 election.

Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022, states: “The Commission shall have the power, within seven days, to review the declaration and return where it determines that the said declaration and return was not made voluntarily or made contrary to the provisions of the law, regulations and guidelines, and manual for the election.”

AHEAD of the March 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections, INEC has replaced the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Sokoto State, Dr. Nura Ali, with its Administrative Secretary in the state, Hauwa Kangiwa, with immediate effect.

In a letter with no INEC/SCE/442/V.II addressed to the commission’s Sokoto office dated March 6, 2023, INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, stated: “This is to inform you of the commission’s decision for you (Ali), Sokoto REC, to stay away from the commission’s office in Sokoto immediately until furthermore notice.

“The administrative secretary is directed to take full charge of INEC, Sokoto State office with immediate effect.”

The letter further directed Kangiwa to liaise with the Supervisory National Commissioner, Prof. Muhammad Kaita, for further clarification when necessary.

INEC did not disclose the reason for Ali’s suspension in the letter, but a top official in the commission told The Guardian that Ali’s conduct during the presidential and National Assembly elections was tantamount to electoral scandal.

The official, who preferred not to be named, said: “Is the basis for our action not self-evident? Imagine, we didn’t declare anyone for the parliamentary elections for House of Representatives and Senate. Is that not a scandal itself?”

Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had, during a meeting with RECs on Saturday, said the commission would punish its officials, whether ad hoc or collation personnel, involved in disrupting the conduct of the February 25 elections.

For the presidential election in Sokoto, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won with 288,679 votes. Bola Tinubu of APC polled 285,444, while Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP got 6,568 and 1,300 votes respectively.