Kwankwasiyya Supporters March in Kano Over Candidate's Exclusion

Supporters of the Kwankwasiyya Movement protested in Kano on Friday. They were upset about the exclusion of their National Democratic Congress governorship candidate from the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The protesters were led by Mustapha Kwankwaso, the deputy governorship candidate. He represented Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the main candidate. They marched to the INEC state office and submitted a petition asking for their candidate to be reinstated.

Kwankwaso said the group followed all the rules set by INEC for candidate nominations. He called the exclusion unfair.

While speaking to the protesters, Abdu Zango, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, mentioned that the commission is aware of the reason for the omission. He also said there is still time for an appeal until October 24.

"Basically, what they came to do is to present a complaint about the omission of their candidates."

"Luckily, INEC has made the point very clear: the reason for the omission, and the fact that there is a window of appeal that has been provided up to the 24th of October."

Zango assured the group that their petition would get the needed attention and would be sent to the national headquarters for review. He emphasized that INEC in Kano is neutral.

He praised the group for their peaceful approach in raising their concerns instead of resorting to violence. Zango also talked about the ongoing Permanent Voter Card collection, which started on October 9, and said he is pleased with the turnout.

Dr. Habib Mohammed, the spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, said their petition includes more than just the exclusion of their candidate. It also mentions claims of forgery and collusion by an INEC staff member.

"Another reason is a petition against a staff member here, whom we believe colluded with some unauthorized people to hide a decision which led to the substitution of some of our candidates."

"There is a regulation on the activities of the party and even authorized officers that are supposed to be engaging INEC. In a situation where multiple letters were submitted, some with suspected forged signatures, that is why we feel the need to bring it to light."

He claimed that unauthorized letters were sent to the INEC headquarters, resulting in the substitution of their candidates in Kano.

"This officer you are talking about, is he an officer of INEC?" he asked. "Yes, he is an officer of INEC, who is supposed to have dealt with authorized people. We have seen multiple letters delivered to INEC headquarters. Those things constitute part of the reason why some of our candidates were actually substituted."

Mohammed said they requested INEC to look into the officer's actions before they take any further steps. He added that they felt reassured by what the Resident Electoral Commissioner told them.

"We thank God he received us very well and has assured us that he is going to do the needful within his own power."

"We are expecting him to escalate this particular petition up to the headquarters, which he assures us he is going to do today," he said.