From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
Former chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano, now chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa, on Wednesday, predicted that the Majority Leader of House of Representatives, Honourable Alhassan Ado Doguwa will still win the Saturday House of Representatives supplementary election in Doguwa /Tudun Wada Federal Constituency.
El-Jubrin told journalists that from all indications, Doguwa will still flaw his closest rival, Air Commodore Salisu Yishau (rtd) of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The AUTHORITY recalls that Doguwa was declared winner of the election held on February 25, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cancelled the exercise and rescheduled supplementary election to be held Saturday, April 15, 2023.
According to the Senator who represented Kano South Senatorial District at the Upper Chamber between 1999 and 2003, Doguwa was leading Yishau with over 4000 votes in the first leg of their contest on February 25.
He added that, “in the last election, Alhassan was leading his NNPP opponent with 4,900 votes and on Saturday, the re- run election is scheduled to take place in 13 polling units which have only about 7000 persons who had collected their voter’s cards.”
“The New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate lacked the capacity, followership and public support to upstage the incumbent at the poll as of today.
“Don’t forget that Alhassan has been contesting and this is not the first time he is winning this election nor is this the first time that he is contesting in a supplementary election in the constituency.
“And this particular re-run election if you should look, you at it well enough will see that Alhassan has a clear advantage over his opponent.”
He further stated that: “In any election matters in Nigeria, only about 50 percent or less of those who collected their cards actually come out to vote. When you do this mathematics, we expect that the actual voters on that day would be far less than the over 7000 people who collected their PVCs.
“That again means that even if all the voters should vote for his opponent, which is not the case, he would still win the elections.
But a very interesting point is that on one on one, Alhassan is stronger than his opponent in the area of the 13 polling units that were cancelled.
“These are his strongholds. Majority of the places where he is weak has been concluded and announced. They belong to him and he belongs to them and I am sure that even in the re- run election, they would root for Alhassan.”
He further explained that, “most of the allegations against the Majority leader in the recent days were triggered by the desperation of his opponents to dislodge him from his seat at all costs.”
