The All Progressives Congress candidate in the Saturday’s Federal House of Representatives rerun election in Katsina State, Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki, has been declared winner.
Tafoki won the rerun which took place in twenty polling units in Kankara and Faskari Local Government Areas, to become the state elected representative for the Sabuwa/ Faskari/Kankara Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission ,Tafoki won with a total of 49,807 votes.
Tafoki, a former Deputy Speaker, State House of Assembly, defeated his closest rival, Jamilu Muhammed of the Peoples Democratic Party, who scored 49,067 votes.
INEC Returning Officer, Professor Aminu Dalhatu Kankia, who announced the results at the INEC office in Kankara Local Government Area, said Tafoki was returned elected after scroring highest votes.
The rerun was held in the 20 polling units in the two councils amidst tight security.
Tafoki, in a statement on Sunday , commended the voters in his constituency for giving him their mandate, even as he assured that his legislation would be in tandem with the APC National Manifesto.
He commended Governor Dikko Radda, and other APC members in the state for their support.
He assured of quality legislation that would better the lives of his constituency members.
Our correspondent recalls that the rerun followed petition filed by Tafoki at the Election Petition Tribunal in 2023 after INEC returned Muhammed as duly elected for the House of Representatives seat.
Tafoki’s counsel had cited over voting and failure to conduct election at some polling units in the area, as reasons why Muhammed should not be returned as duly elected.
The Tribunal ruled in his favour, describing the election as inconclusive even as the court ordered INEC to conduct a rerun within 90 days.
The PDP candidate then went to the Court of Appeal on the matter, but the appellate court upheld the judgement of the Tribunal, leading to the Saturday rerun.
