Kwankwaso not leaving NDC, party spokesman clarifies

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has denied reports that its vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, is planning to leave the party. This is over disagreements about candidate selection in Kano State.

The party's National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, called the claims "conjectures and media speculations" meant to harm the party's image.

In an interview on Arise News on Saturday night, Director said Kwankwaso has never thought about leaving the party.

"At no time did our leader, Kwankwaso, threaten to leave the party. Those were just conjectures and media speculations trying to demarket the party, and we know where they are coming from," he said.

According to him, the reports are fueled by political opponents and others who want to create a false sense of crisis within the party.

His comments came after reports linked Kwankwaso to unhappiness over changes to the party’s candidate list in Kano State.

The issue started when the NDC replaced some nominees that the Kwankwasiyya movement, loyal to the former Kano State governor, submitted.

A document signed by the NDC Chairman in Kano State, Hussaini Mairiga, said the changes were made to keep a power-sharing deal between the Kwankwasiyya group and the party's existing structure in the state.

Under this deal, the Kwankwasiyya group was given 60 percent of party positions and elective tickets, while the NDC structure got 40 percent.

This situation sparked rumors that Kwankwaso might think about leaving the party if his political camp was ignored.

But party officials said there was no such threat and that talks were still ongoing to address any worries from the candidate selection process.

Director pointed out that disagreements over nominations are normal in political parties, especially in a growing coalition preparing for a big election.

"Apart from media speculation and those who do not want us to succeed, there were instances in a particular constituency in Delta State where an incumbent allegedly supported five or six aspirants to run against Collins Edema," he said.

The NDC, which was founded in 2026, is one of the opposition parties getting ready for the 2027 general elections.

The party’s presidential ticket, which has former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and Kwankwaso, has drawn a lot of public interest as political parties ramp up their preparations for the upcoming election.

Director said the party is focused on reconciling and strengthening its structures before the polls.

"There are challenges, but they are normal in party-building. We remain committed to resolving issues through dialogue and moving forward together," he said.