Prominent Nigerian political movement and supporters of the 2027 vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso has kicked against a reported move by leadership of the party to drop some party candidates loyal to Kwankwaso.

Reports indicated that NDC has replaced several candidates earlier submitted by the Kwankwasiyya faction in Kano State over an alleged breach of a power-sharing agreement.

A document allegedly signed by Kano State Chairman of the party, Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga, says that the changes were made to reflect the earlier agreement on the distribution of party positions and elective tickets between the existing NDC structure and the Kwankwasiyya bloc.

The document, which was copied to the NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, Kwankwasiyya leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the party’s North-West Zonal Chairman, adjusted the list of both federal and state house assembly candidates.

When contacted by DAILY POST on Monday, the national spokesperson of the Kwankwassiyya Movement, Habib Mai-Lemo rejected the document, insisting that due processes were followed before aspirants from the Kwankwaso camp emerged candidates.

Expressing shock over the development, Mai-Lemo said the Kwankwassiyya Movement will for the moment, treat the report as a rumour, stating that the state chairman of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC were part of the processes that produced the affected candidates.

He said, “I also saw on social media that some candidates are being dropped a week after the primaries were conducted.

“It was not Kwankwaso that sold nomination forms, it was the party and as such processes were followed either through consensus or primary election.

“All our candidates participated in the processes from start to finish. While the processes were going on, we never received any complaints from anybody. We didn’t block anybody from buying forms because at the first place we didn’t sell the forms.

“All the candidates followed due processes. We don’t know where this issue is coming from but we are waiting to see if it is true or not because we have not received a copy of the letter allegedly signed by the State Chairman of the NDC.

“We know that the state was part of the process. He was there when consensus took place, even INEC was there so for now, we are treating it as a rumour”.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Vice Presidential candidate, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has been accused of hijacking party structure in the North West

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the party’s Northwest Vice Chairman Mohammed Rabiu Serina and Kano State Chairman Hussaini Isa Mariga respectively.

They alleged that the former Kano state governor was excluding non-Kwankwasiyya members from contesting elective offices on its platform.

They duo described themselves as pioneer members of the party, said they were appointed by the party’s National Leader, former Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, before the party’s registration and later confirmed as substantive officers through congresses and the national convention.

Serina and Mariga further stated that they were instrumental in building the party’s structures across Kano State and the Northwest before Kwankwaso and his supporters joined the party.

“The problems began when Kwankwaso sought complete control of the party structure in Kano State during the state congresses.

“The dispute prompted the intervention of the party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson who convened a meeting and brokered an agreement granting Kwankwaso and his supporters 60 per cent control of the party structure in Kano, while the party retained 40 per cent,” the party officials said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the forthcoming Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.

The list, published by the electoral body, confirms four candidates who will contest for the vacant Senate seat representing the district.

Those cleared by INEC are Halilu Onda Enyulu-Uza of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Maku Labaran of the Labour Party (LP), John Paul Aaraneshi of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The publication of the final list signals the commencement of the final phase of preparations for the by-election, with political parties expected to intensify campaigns across the five local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

INEC had earlier assured stakeholders of its commitment to conducting a free, fair, and credible poll in line with the Electoral Act and established electoral guidelines.

The Nasarawa North Senatorial District comprises Akwanga, Wamba, Nassarawa Eggon, Kokona, and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.

With the release of the final list, attention now shifts to the campaigns and eventual showdown at the polls on June 20.