Mr Kwankwaso said his party has asked a court to compel INEC to accept Rufa'i Hanga as its candidate for the district.

The New Nigeria People Party, (NNPP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its refusal to allow the party name a candidate for Kano Central District in next year's National Assembly election.

The original candidate of the party, Ibrahim Shekarau, decamped and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, following irreconcilable differences with the party's presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

INEC argued that Mr Shekarau, a former governor of the state, is yet to inform it officially that he has left the NNPP and is no longer its candidate for the district as required by the electoral act, thus it cannot replace his name with another person.

Mr Kwankwaso, in an interview with the Radio Deutsche Welle Hausa Service on Wednesday, said the electoral commission refused to replace Mr Shekarau's name with the new candidate, Rufa'i Hanga, the party submitted to it after Mr Shekarau's defection from the NNPP.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Independent National Electoral Commission explained why it could not replace the name of Mr Shekarau.

Kwankwaso's objection

During the radio interview, Mr Kwankwaso said he wondered that supposing the NNPP won the senatorial seat for Kano Central, would INEC announce Mr Shekarau as the legally elected representative for the district?

"We have conducted (fresh) primary election where we elected Rufa'i Sani Hanga, as a replacement and if INEC can do justice to us, based on the constitution, the time for the replacement of candidates is not yet over.

"We have taken the matter to court because INEC did not understand the process. The court will make them understand it," Mr Kwankwaso said.