Doguwa reelected to house of reps for fifth term

Alhassan Doguwa, majority leader of the house of
representatives, has been declared the winner of the Doguwa/Tudun Wada federal
constituency election in Kano.

Sani Ibrahim, the returning officer of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), who announced the results on Saturday,
said the lawmaker secured 41,573 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Yushau
Salisu of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), who got 34,831 votes.

The Saturday supplementary election was held in eight wards
in Tudunwada LGA.

The electoral umpire had announced Doguwa as the winner of
the February 25 election for the federal constituency but later declared it
inconclusive.

There were reports of overvoting and disruption of voting in
some polling units in the area.

At the time the election was declared inconclusive, Doguwa
was leading with 39,732 votes while Salisu had 34,798 votes.

Doguwa will be serving his fifth term when the 10th assembly
is inaugurated in June.

Doguwa is among the lawmakers said to be seeking to succeed
Femi Gbajabiamila as the speaker. However, his legal battle may hinder his
ambition.

Doguwa is standing trial over alleged criminal conspiracy,
culpable homicide, unlawful possession of a firearm, mischief, and public
disturbance.

On February 28, he was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano
International Airport while boarding a flight to Abuja.

The lawmaker was arrested after police received a report
that he allegedly led thugs to set ablaze the secretariat of the NNPP in Kano,
with two persons feared dead.

Although the legislator denied any wrongdoing, he was
arraigned on March 1, at a magistrate court in Kano and was subsequently
remanded in prison.

After a few days in prison, he was granted bail in the sum
of N500 million by a federal high court.