Yushau had argued that if the supplementary election was conducted, it might render the tribunal helpless as he was challenging the earlier election. However, the tribunal held that its jurisdiction could only be activated if an election had taken place and concluded in the constituency, which was not the case. The three-member tribunal comprised Justices L.B Lawal Akapo, Thelma Achon, and Abdulrahman Idris.
The NNPP candidate is the main challenger of the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who was earlier declared the winner of the constituency's poll but whose victory was reversed by the electoral umpire due to the margin of victory principle. INEC had fixed April 15 to conduct the supplementary election alongside other elections that had not yet been concluded across the country.
Before the tribunal's ruling, Bashir Yusuf Muhammed, counsel for the NNPP candidate, had submitted that the tribunal had the jurisdiction and competence to entertain the application. He cited the combined impetus of Section 285 (1) CFRN, 1999, Section 24 (6) of the Electoral Act 2022, and Section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution. He insisted that the decision of INEC was challengeable by any of the contestants, and urged the tribunal to look into the commission's decision to organize a supplementary election in the constituency.
The tribunal's ruling means that the supplementary election will proceed as scheduled, and the people of the Doguwa/Tudunwada Federal constituency will have another opportunity to elect their representative to the National Assembly. The outcome of the supplementary poll will have far-reaching implications, not only for the two main contenders but also for the political landscape of Kano State and Nigeria as a whole.
It is no secret that the Doguwa/Tudunwada Federal constituency is one of the most hotly contested in the state. The incumbent, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has been in the National Assembly since 2003 and is widely regarded as a political heavyweight in the state and the country. His opponent, Salisu Yushau, is a relative political newcomer but has managed to gain a significant following, particularly among the youth and the disenfranchised.
The build-up to the supplementary election has been fraught with tension and violence, with reports of clashes between rival political factions and allegations of vote-buying and voter intimidation. The security agencies have assured the people of Kano State of their readiness to maintain law and order and ensure a peaceful and transparent election.
The supplementary election will be a crucial test of the country's electoral system and the ability of INEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls. It will also be a litmus test for the various political parties and their candidates, who will have to prove their mettle in the face of stiff opposition and mounting public scrutiny.
The ruling of the tribunal has been hailed by some as a victory for democracy and the rule of law, while others have criticized it as a setback for the opposition and a tacit endorsement of the status quo. The NNPP candidate and his supporters have vowed to challenge the ruling in a higher court, while the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in the state, has expressed confidence in its ability to win the supplementary election convincingly.