The ongoing nomination of candidates for the 2027 General Election has exposed tensions in the Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). The friction centres on a contentious power-sharing agreement between founding members and new entrants from the Kwankwasiyya Movement, which is led by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Mr Kwankwaso is the party’s vice presidential candidate.
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The infighting was escalated to the party’s national leadership, which warned after a meeting between the NDC’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, and leaders of the Kwankwasiya movement, that it would not tolerate the imposition of candidates.
In a statement posted on its verified X handle, the party confirmed the tensions between the Kwankwasiya movement and older party members in Kano State.
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“A delegation of the national leadership of the Kwankwasiya 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 Kwankwasiya movement and the legacy officials of the NDC in Kano State.
“Senator Dickson and the NDC leadership are mediating in the process in order 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 cherishes the virtues of 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 defected 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 the defection, Kano NDC chairperson, Usaini Mairiga, warned that while the local chapter welcomed Mr Kwankwaso and members of his Kwankwasiyya movement, it would not surrender control of its structures to them.
Speaking in a radio interview in May, Mr Mairiga, who until then was little known in the state’s political arena, alleged that Mr Kwankwaso had demanded total control of the state’s party apparatus.
“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 it 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, reportedly by consensus, sparked disagreement among party members. Many voiced their frustration after Aminu Abdulsalami, who had resigned a few weeks earlier as deputy governor, was picked as the NDC governorship candidate. His main rival for the ticket was another new ally of Mr Kwankwaso, Nasiru Gawuna. Mr Gawuna was the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in 2023. He left the APC in March, after Governor Abba Yusuf defected from Mr Kwankwaso’s side to the ruling party.
Although his supporters believe Mr Gawuna has a higher political pedigree than Mr Abdulsalam, he was handed the senatorial ticket for the Kano Central District. His supporters view his senatorial nomination as a continuation of the very marginalisation he fled from in the APC.
Defending the nomination of Mr Abdussalam as the governorship candidate, Mr Kwankwaso stated that “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 senatorial candidate for Kano North, and Kassim Batayya for Kano South. Mr Batayya beat another APC decampee, former Governor Kabiru Gaya, to the ticket.
Gawuna negotiating ADC governorship ticket
The latest reports indicate that Mr Gawuna is seeking to pursue his ambition for the governorship under the ADC.
Speaking on the reports, a top aide of the politician, Mansur Gawuna, was coy in a conversation with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. “In politics, every moment is a moment of decision,” he said, refusing to rule out the possibility of Mr Gawuna leaving the NDC.
The ADC has yet to nominate its gubernatorial candidate due to internal disputes arising 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 were holding formal talks through representatives.
NDC’s broken 60-40 formula
Following Mr Kwankwaso’s entry into the NDC, an agreement was struck to give his group 60 per cent 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, Seriake Dickson, that Mr Kwankwaso failed to honour the agreed 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 the excluded members had invested “considerable time, resources, and commitment” into building the party long before Mr Kwankwaso’s arrival.
The petitioners alleged that high-profile defectors who joined the NDC to boost its strength were completely sidelined.
They cited the case of Nasiru Ahmed, a three-term member of the House of Representatives, who they claimed was sidelined despite his political experience and ability to finance and sustain his own electoral campaign.
“There are numerous other credible and electable individuals who deserve consideration. Mr Kwankwaso’s refusal to accommodate such aspirants has also affected prominent figures interested in contesting Senatorial positions, including Senator Kabiru Gaya, a former Governor and four-term Senator.”
They claimed that Mr Kwankwaso rebuffed the NDC National Working Committee (NWC) ‘s intervention on the matter.
“The NWC dispatched a formal delegation to engage Mr Kwankwaso, aiming to ensure that the party structure in Kano State remained inclusive and that credible aspirants with proven electoral value were given a fair opportunity to contest.
“Despite repeated consultations, appeals, and interventions by the National Working Committee, Mr Kwankwaso remained 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 maintains loyal supporters across multiple political parties and is prepared to move elsewhere if necessary.
“In light of these developments, we consider it necessary to inform our supporters and the general 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 drew a sharp line between the party’s institutional identity and Mr Kwankwaso’s personal political movement, warning that the current trajectory 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, discourages inclusion, 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 desire to contest elections and contribute to the development of a viable political alternative.
“We remain willing to work with Senator Kwankwaso in accordance with the directives of the National Leadership, provided that such cooperation is based on mutual respect, inclusiveness, and commitment to the growth of the party,” the aggrieved leaders stated.
READ ALSO: ‘No imposition of candidates’, NDC warns after meeting Kwankwasiyya delegation
Kwankwasiyya insists on nominated candidates
Habibu Mailemu, the spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya movement in Kano, told PREMIUM TIMES that the primary elections were conducted peacefully across the state, with candidates emerging through a consensus process.
Mr Mailemu expressed surprise that grievances over a sharing formula only surfaced on social media and mainstream platforms nine days after the primaries had successfully concluded.
“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. On our part, from the Kwankwasiyya movement, we have done all the needful at the right time and fulfilled the party’s guidelines without any complaints,” Mr Mailemu stated
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