Why opposition parties boycotted Kano by-elections

Major opposition parties — the African Democratic Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party and Peoples Democratic Party — on Saturday boycotted the by-elections for the Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituencies in Kano State, citing alleged irregularities and fears of violence.

The by-election was conducted to fill the vacant seats left by the deaths of Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo and Sarki Aliyu Daneji, both elected on the NNPP platform, who died on the same day in December 2025.

ADC state chairman Musa Ungogo said the party decided to stay away from the poll to preserve peace, particularly during the Ramadan period.

He alleged that the rerun process was structured to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress, insisting the party would not participate in what it described as a flawed exercise.

Similarly, PDP chairman Yusuf Kibiya criticised the conduct of the election, saying the party had lodged complaints with the Independent National Electoral Commission without receiving a response. He added that the party would seek redress through the courts.

The NNPP also confirmed it deliberately shunned the rerun, explaining that the candidates fielded by the APC were originally its nominees who later defected, and the party chose not to substitute them.

Kano State Electoral Commissioner Abdu Zango attributed the low voter turnout to the Ramadan fasting period and public perception that the exercise was a minor poll, noting that the election remained peaceful with security personnel deployed across affected areas.

Governor Abba Yusuf commended INEC and security agencies for what he described as a peaceful and orderly process.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the governor praised residents of Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies for their discipline and commitment to maintaining calm during the exercise.