Isaac Samuel
A fresh crisis has engulfed the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State following the replacement of several candidates earlier submitted by the Kwankwasiyya movement.
The development has reportedly prompted former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to threaten to leave the party if the changes are not reversed.
The dispute centres on an existing power-sharing arrangement between the NDC leadership in Kano and the Kwankwasiyya bloc, under which political positions and elective tickets were to be shared on a 60-40 basis, with Kwankwaso’s supporters controlling 60 per cent and the original party structure retaining 40 per cent.
According to a document signed by Kano State NDC Chairman, Hussaini Isah Mairiga, the party reviewed and replaced some candidates earlier submitted by the Kwankwasiyya faction, insisting that the changes were necessary to reflect the agreed formula.
The revised list approved candidates for several House of Representatives constituencies, including Kumbotso, Nassarawa, Kano Municipal, Doguwa/Tudun Wada, Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado/Tofa, Sumaila/Takai and Gwale.
Adjustments were also made to State House of Assembly tickets in Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo and Dawakin Kudu constituencies.
The latest development comes amid growing tensions between the Kano NDC leadership and the Kwankwasiyya movement over allegations of domination and exclusion.
Party leaders in the North-West had earlier accused Kwankwaso of attempting to take complete control of the NDC structure in Kano and sidelining members who are not part of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
In a petition addressed to NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, the officials alleged that nomination forms for elective offices were distributed almost exclusively to Kwankwasiyya loyalists, contrary to the power-sharing agreement.
The petitioners claimed that although Kwankwaso and his supporters were allocated 60 per cent of the party structure following negotiations brokered by Dickson, the former governor allegedly sought total control of the nomination process.
They further alleged that repeated interventions by the national leadership failed to resolve the dispute.
The disagreement marks the latest challenge for the opposition party, which has witnessed a rapid influx of political heavyweights ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso, one of the most influential political figures in northern Nigeria, joined forces with the NDC earlier this year as part of broader opposition realignments aimed at strengthening the party’s prospects in the next election cycle.
His entry into the party was accompanied by negotiations that produced the 60-40 sharing formula intended to accommodate both existing members and new entrants from the Kwankwasiyya movement.
The former governor recently announced several consensus candidates for Kano, including former deputy governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo as the party’s governorship candidate and Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna for Kano Central Senatorial District.
