Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed the name of the embattled leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa from the list of election winners.
The returning officer, Professor Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai had declared him the winner of Doguwa/Tudunwada constituency in the February 25 election with the All Progressives Congress (APC) polling 39,732 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yushau Salisu Abdullahi of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) who polled 34,798 votes.
However, in the newly released list of members-elect, Doguwa’s name was visibly absent. INEC stated that the declaration was made under duress.
In a viral video of the returning officer declaring the results, the don from Bayero University, Kano could be heard reading out the results with a faltering voice.
Following the election violence recorded in the constituency after the election, Doguwa was arrested by the police for his alleged role in the killings of several persons and burning of the secretariat of the NNPP, an allegation the lawmaker has denied vehemently.
The police had confirmed that at least three persons were killed while the campaign secretariat of the NNPP in Tudunwada was set on fire with two persons burnt to death.
Doguwa was thereafter charged with murder, arson, and unlawful possession of firearms, before being subsequently sent to prison.
The Federal High Court in Kano on Monday admitted the embattled lawmaker to N500million bail but barred him from appearing anywhere within his constituency during the conduct of the forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections.
