By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Shuaibu Rabiu, has emerged victorious in the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency by-election in Kano State, securing a decisive mandate to represent the constituency in the House of Representatives.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Rabiu the winner after he polled 35,356 votes to defeat his opponents in the election conducted on Saturday.
The by-election was held to fill the vacancy created by the death of the former lawmaker representing the constituency, Muhammad Hassan Danjuma, who passed away earlier this year. Danjuma had won the seat during the 2023 general elections.
Shuaibu Rabiu’s victory further strengthens the APC’s influence in Kano State and returns the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency seat to the ruling party at the federal level.
The poll, which was monitored by officials of INEC and security agencies, was generally adjudged peaceful and orderly. Political observers noted that the contest attracted fewer major opposition parties, with only candidates of the APC, Labour Party (LP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) participating after some parties opted out of the race.
Rabiu’s emergence is expected to provide fresh representation for constituents of Dawakin Kudu and Warawa local government areas, who have been without a representative since the demise of the former lawmaker.
Following the declaration, APC supporters celebrated the outcome, describing it as a vote of confidence in the party’s leadership and policies.
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With the victory, Rabiu will proceed to the National Assembly in Abuja to complete the remaining tenure of the constituency and join other lawmakers in deliberating on issues affecting Kano State and the nation at large.
The Merit Newspaper reports that INEC had earlier listed Rabiu Shuaibu of the APC, Abubakar Yahaya Muhammad of the Labour Party and Lawan Garba Haruna of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) among the candidates cleared to contest the by-election.
