Doguwa re-elected to house of reps for fifth term

Alhassan Doguwa, majority leader of the house of representatives, has been declared the winner of the Doguwa/Tudun Wada federal constituency election in Kano.

Sani Ibrahim, the returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who announced the results on Saturday, said the lawmaker secured 41,573 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Yushau Salisu of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), who got 34,831 votes.

The Saturday supplementary election was held in eight wards in Tudunwada LGA.

The electoral umpire had announced Doguwa as the winner of the February 25 election for the federal constituency but later declared it inconclusive.

There were reports of overvoting and disruption of voting in some polling units in the area.

At the time the election was declared inconclusive, Doguwa was leading with 39,732 votes while Salisu had 34,798 votes.

Doguwa will be serving his fifth term when the 10th assembly is inaugurated in June.

Doguwa is among the lawmakers said to be seeking to succeed Femi Gbajabiamila as the speaker. However, his legal battle may hinder his ambition.

Doguwa is standing trial over alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, unlawful possession of a firearm, mischief, and public disturbance.

On February 28, he was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while boarding a flight to Abuja.

The lawmaker was arrested after police received a report that he allegedly led thugs to set ablaze the secretariat of the NNPP in Kano, with two persons feared dead.

Although the legislator denied any wrongdoing, he was arraigned on March 1, at a magistrate court in Kano and was subsequently remanded in prison.

After a few days in prison, he was granted bail in the sum of N500 million by a federal high court.