Dr. Ali Kiyawa, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has emerged victorious in the Bagwai/Shanono State Assembly bye-election held in Kano State.
The result was officially announced early Sunday morning by the Returning Officer, Professor Hassan Shitu, who declared Kiyawa the winner with 16,198 votes.
His closest rival, Ahmad Kadamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), garnered 5,347 votes.
While the Bagwai/Shanono result was declared, tensions flared over the ongoing by-election in the Ghari/Tsanyawa constituency.
Several NNPP officials staged a sit-in protest at the INEC office in Kano, alleging attempts to manipulate the outcome of that election.
According to Sanusi Tofa, spokesperson for the Kano State Governor, the party members vowed not to vacate the premises until the final results were released.
In a statement issued on Saturday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka called for an immediate cancellation of both the Shanono/Bagwai bye-election and the Ghari rerun election.
He cited reports of violence, voter intimidation, and disruptions by armed thugs across multiple polling units.
“Verifiable reports from Shanono, Bagwai, and Ghari show voters fleeing due to violence, with security forces unable to contain the chaos,” Morka said.
“Continuing with these elections in such conditions undermines democratic principles and threatens electoral credibility.”
The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the arrest of 288 individuals allegedly attempting to disrupt the elections.
The suspects, reportedly affiliated with political actors, were found in possession of dangerous weapons.
Police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, disclosed the arrests on Saturday, stating that they occurred in several local government areas where the elections were being held.
“As of 1 p.m. Saturday, 288 suspected thugs had been apprehended with dangerous weapons,” Haruna confirmed.
“They are being investigated for their roles in the attempted disruption of the electoral process.”
