Three opposition parties — the African Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday boycotted the by-election for the Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituencies in Kano State.
The parties cited alleged irregularities, fear of violence and what they described as arrangements favouring the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as reasons for staying away from the polls.
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacant seats left by the deaths of Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo and Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who were elected on the NNPP platform and died on the same day in December 2025.
ADC State Chairman, Musa Ungogo, said the party chose to avoid participating in order to maintain peace, especially during Ramadan. He alleged that the process was structured to favour the APC and said the party would instead focus on preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, PDP State Chairman, Yusuf Kibiya, criticised the conduct of the poll, claiming the process was skewed. He said the party had written to the electoral commission but received no response and would seek redress in court.
The NNPP, through its spokesperson Ibrahim Baraya, said it deliberately shunned the election, noting that the APC candidates were originally nominees of the party before defecting.
However, the State Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, attributed the low turnout to Ramadan and the perception that the by-election was not a major poll. He said the exercise was peaceful and free of security challenges.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, commended the electoral body and security agencies for what he described as a peaceful and orderly exercise. He praised residents for their discipline and said the calm atmosphere reflected political maturity in the state.
Meanwhile, in Rivers State, candidates of the APC won the House of Assembly by-elections in Ahoada East Constituency 2 and Khana Constituency 2.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Napoleon Ukalikpe winner in Ahoada East Constituency 2 after he polled 3,980 votes to defeat other candidates.
In Khana Constituency 2, Burabari Loloo was declared winner after securing 7,647 votes. INEC officials described the elections as peaceful and orderly, despite reports of low voter turnout in some areas.
Security personnel were deployed to maintain order during collation of results, while electoral officials and party agents monitored the process in line with guidelines.
