Tension in Kano NDC Over Candidate Nominations for 2027

The ongoing process to choose candidates for the 2027 General Election has caused serious tensions in the Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). The conflict is mainly about a power-sharing deal between the founding members and new members from the Kwankwasiyya Movement, led by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Mr Kwankwaso is the party’s vice presidential candidate.

The fighting has escalated to the party’s national leadership, which warned after a meeting that it would not accept anyone forcing candidates. The meeting included the NDC’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, and leaders from the Kwankwasiyya movement.

In a statement on its verified X handle, the party confirmed the disagreement between the Kwankwasiyya movement and older party members in Kano State.

"A delegation of the national leadership of the Kwankwasiyya movement last night met with the national leader, His Excellency Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and the leadership of the NDC.

"The closed-door meeting was aimed at resolving the issues between the Kwankwasiyya movement and the legacy officials of the NDC in Kano State.

"Senator Dickson and the NDC leadership are mediating in the process to enhance inclusion and participation by every party member.

"The NDC leadership will not impose candidates in Kano State, and indeed across the nation as the party values internal democracy. The meeting, which lasted several hours, was productive.

"The NDC has not released any official results of its primary elections in any state. Hence, the public and party members are urged to disregard any such list in circulation," the NDC stated on Tuesday.

Crisis Long Time Coming

Mr Kwankwaso and his followers moved from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the NDC in May. The party had offered its platform to the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Mr Kwankwaso for the next presidential election.

Shortly after this move, Kano NDC chairperson, Usaini Mairiga, warned that while the local chapter welcomed Mr Kwankwaso and his followers, it would not give up control of its structures to them.

In a radio interview in May, Mr Mairiga claimed that Mr Kwankwaso had asked for total control of the state’s party structure.

"He wants us to hand over the entire party to him, despite the sacrifices we made when the party had little or no presence," Mr Mairiga said, insisting that this would not happen. "We will pursue all lawful avenues to ensure that the party structure is not hijacked."

Nomination of Candidates

The party later announced its candidates for the state in 2027 at Mr Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence. However, the nominations, made by consensus, led to disagreements among party members. Many expressed frustration after Aminu Abdulsalami, who resigned a few weeks earlier as deputy governor, was chosen as the NDC governorship candidate. His main rival for the ticket was another new ally of Mr Kwankwaso, Nasiru Gawuna. Mr Gawuna had been the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in 2023. He left the APC in March after Governor Abba Yusuf switched sides to the ruling party.

Although his supporters believe Mr Gawuna has more political experience than Mr Abdulsalam, he was given the senatorial ticket for the Kano Central District. His supporters see this nomination as a continuation of the marginalization he faced in the APC.

Defending Mr Abdussalam’s nomination as the governorship candidate, Mr Kwankwaso said, "the decision was made in the spirit of equity, fairness, loyalty, and competence, values that remain central to our party and Kwankwasiyya’s progress and unity."

The NDC also nominated Sunusi Dambatta as the senatorial candidate for Kano North and Kassim Batayya for Kano South. Mr Batayya beat another APC defector, former Governor Kabiru Gaya, to the ticket.

Gawuna Negotiating ADC Governorship Ticket

Recent reports say Mr Gawuna is looking to run for governor under the ADC. In a conversation with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, a close aide of Mr Gawuna, Mansur Gawuna, was hesitant about the talks. "In politics, every moment is a moment of decision," he said, not ruling out Mr Gawuna leaving the NDC.

The ADC has not yet named its governorship candidate due to internal issues from a primary election contest between leading aspirants, Ibrahim Khalil and Al’amin Little. Its state chairman, Musa Ungogo, confirmed to reporters that Mr Gawuna and the ADC are in formal talks through their representatives.

NDC’s Broken 60-40 Formula

After Mr Kwankwaso joined the NDC, an agreement was made to give his group 60 percent of party executive positions and election tickets. However, Mr Mairiga and the party’s Northwest vice chairman, Mohammed Serina, claimed in a petition to the party’s national leader that Mr Kwankwaso failed to honor the sharing formula during the candidates’ nomination process.

They alleged that members outside the Kwankwasiyya fold were denied access to the party’s interest and nomination forms.

"He (Mr Kwankwaso) declined to allocate any of the forty State House of Assembly forms, twenty-four House of Representatives forms, three Senatorial forms, or the Governorship form to party members who were not part of his political movement.

"More troubling was his refusal to allocate nomination forms to the State Chairman, myself, or any other party officer who was not affiliated with the Kwankwasiyya group.

"In an effort to reach a compromise, I personally appealed to him to release at least five State Assembly forms and seven House of Representatives forms, while leaving all Senatorial positions under his control. This request was also rejected," the duo stated in their complaint letter.

The party officials claimed that excluded members had invested “considerable time, resources, and commitment” into building the party before Mr Kwankwaso’s arrival. They said high-profile defectors who joined the NDC were completely sidelined.

They mentioned Nasiru Ahmed, a three-term member of the House of Representatives, who they claimed was overlooked despite his political experience and ability to fund his own campaign.

“There are many credible and electable individuals who deserve consideration. Mr Kwankwaso’s refusal to accommodate such aspirants has affected prominent figures interested in contesting Senatorial positions, including Senator Kabiru Gaya, a former Governor and four-term Senator.”

They said Mr Kwankwaso ignored the NDC National Working Committee (NWC) ‘s intervention on the matter.

"The NWC sent a formal delegation to engage Mr Kwankwaso, aiming to ensure that the party structure in Kano State remained inclusive and that credible aspirants were given a fair chance to contest.

"Despite repeated consultations and appeals, Mr Kwankwaso was unwilling to compromise.

"We understand that he expressed dissatisfaction with any arrangement that did not grant him total control and threatened to leave the party if his demands were not fully met. He has also reportedly stated on several occasions that he has loyal supporters across multiple political parties and is ready to move elsewhere if needed.

"In light of these developments, we consider it necessary to inform our supporters and the public that (Mr) Kwankwaso does not appear committed to building the party on the basis of inclusiveness, consultation, and collective ownership. Our own commitment remains focused on working with the National Leadership and party members across Nigeria to build a credible alternative political platform," they added.

The aggrieved party leaders made a clear distinction between the party’s identity and Mr Kwankwaso’s personal political movement. They warned that the current situation threatens the NDC’s survival.

"We are not members of the Kwankwasiyya movement, and we cannot accept a situation in which membership of a particular political group becomes the sole criterion for participation, recognition, or eligibility for elective office within our party. Such an approach undermines democratic principles and threatens the unity and growth of the party.

"We reaffirm that the party belongs to all its members and not to any individual or political movement. The party remains open to all Nigerians who genuinely want to contest elections and contribute to developing a viable political alternative.

"We remain willing to work with Senator Kwankwaso in line with the National Leadership’s directives, provided that this cooperation is based on respect, inclusiveness, and commitment to the party’s growth," the aggrieved leaders stated.

Kwankwasiyya Insists on Nominated Candidates

Habibu Mailemu, the spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya movement in Kano, told PREMIUM TIMES that the primary elections were held peacefully across the state, with candidates selected through a consensus process.

Mr Mailemu expressed surprise that complaints about a sharing formula only appeared on social media and mainstream platforms nine days after the primaries had ended successfully.

"We will not comment further on this issue since we have submitted the names of the candidates; only the national headquarters of the NDC can respond to the allegations after the congress or replace any candidate after the party’s primaries. From our side, the Kwankwasiyya movement has done everything needed at the right time and followed the party’s guidelines without any complaints," Mr Mailemu stated.