How children of deceased lawmakers won Kano bye- election
Two candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the legislative bye-elections held in Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies held on Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC polls, conducted the polls on Saturday, February 21, to fill vacancies created by the sudden passing of Aminu Sa’adu (Ungogo) and Sarki Aliyu Daneji (Kano Municipal) in December 2025.
Returning Officer for Ungogo Local Government Area, Prof. Ali Tijjani Abdullahi, announced that the APC candidate, Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad, polled 8,975 votes to win the seat. He defeated Shua’ibu Hashimu of the Action Democratic Party (ADC) who polled 54 votes.
Prof. Abdullahi said, “Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
In Kano Municipal, the Returning Officer, Prof. Ibrahim Tajo Siraj, declared Aliyu Nabil Daneji of the APC winner after he secured 7,484 votes.
His closest rival, Shehu Ishaq Abdullahi of the Peoples Redemption Party, garnered 105 votes. The victorious APC candidates are sons of the deceased former lawmakers who will now replace their fathers in the Kano State House of Assembly.
A chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP credited the replacement to the Kwankwasiyya Movement under the leadership of Senator (Dr) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Habibu Sale Mohammed a press statement insisted that the decision to support the children of the two deceased lawmakers was guided by compassion and respect rather than political calculation.
Mohammed said the tragic deaths of the two lawmakers, who represented Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies, left a deep void within the movement and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
“The tragic demise of the sitting members representing these constituencies occurred on the same day,” Mohammed said. “Both were elected on the platform of the NNPP and were committed members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement until their passing.”
According to him, the movement’s national leader, , considered it morally appropriate to support the nomination of the deceased lawmakers’ children as candidates during the mourning period.
“In the spirit of compassion, continuity, and respect for their sacrifices, our National Leader (Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso) deemed it morally appropriate to support the nomination of their children as flag bearers of the party,” he said, adding that the decision was adopted by the party through a consensus arrangement.
According to him, following the defection of the Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the nominations of the two were submitted under the APC banner on the eve of the final submission of candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“It was only after sensing public backlash and widespread disapproval that a sudden reversal occurred. “The same individuals earlier nominated under NNPP were adopted as APC flag bearers, and under intense political pressure, they were compelled to resign their NNPP membership.”
Despite the development, Mohammed said Kwankwaso maintained his original position. “Our National Leader, in his characteristic statesmanship and respect for the bereaved families, resolved to honour his original stand.
He maintained that the children of the deceased members should be allowed to return to the State Assembly, irrespective of the political platform they now stand on,” he said.
