Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has responded to criticism by former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC Abdullahi Ganduje.

Ganduje had on Tuesday said the NDC Peter Obi and Kwankwaso presidential ticket stands no chance of winning Kano State in the 2027 general election. He declared that the ticket is dead on arrival.

Ganduje equally claimed that the ticket lacks the political strength and leadership record needed to win support in the state.

Reacting, Kwankwaso said “Ganduje has no reason to make that statement”, pointing out that the APC christian was defeated when he was governor but he could not do anything.

Speaking on News Central TV, Kwankwaso said, “We supported him 2015. In 2023 we defeated him and if he could not do anything when he was governor, what can he do now?”

The spokesperson of the Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, has called for a free, fair and credible governorship election in Osun State, describing the August 15, 2026 poll as a crucial test for Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Olajengbesi made the call on Friday in Abuja during a press briefing after an advocacy visit to the Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah Centre, where he appealed to domestic and international stakeholders to closely monitor the election.

He said the Osun governorship election would serve as a major assessment of the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Nigeria Police Force and other institutions responsible for safeguarding the electoral process.

“The coming election in Osun State is important to Nigeria and important to the world. It is a major test of the integrity of INEC, the Inspector-General of Police and our institutions to determine whether we are prepared to conduct free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 general election”, he said.

Olajengbesi urged the international community, civil society organisations and election observers to pay close attention to the conduct of the poll to ensure that the will of the people prevails.

He alleged that the police command in Osun State had become compromised and accused the state Commissioner of Police of acting in a partisan manner. According to him, the campaign council had submitted a fresh complaint to the British High Commission over its concerns.

He also said the council had previously petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, alleging insecurity and politically motivated violence in the state.

“People are being killed every day in Osun State,” Olajengbesi alleged, calling on the police authorities to ensure neutrality and guarantee the safety of voters throughout the election period.

He stressed that eligible voters must be allowed to freely elect the candidate of their choice without intimidation or interference.

Also speaking at the briefing, a representative of the Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers, Mr A. O. Franklin, described the forthcoming election as a litmus test for Nigeria’s democratic institutions and electoral stakeholders.

He said government derives its legitimacy from the people and insisted that every eligible voter must be given a safe environment to exercise their franchise.

“The forthcoming election in Osun State is a litmus test that must assess the credibility and integrity of all stakeholders,” he said, urging INEC to remain impartial and the Inspector-General of Police to discharge his constitutional responsibilities professionally.

Franklin added that the election would provide an indication of Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections and called on the media to continue holding public institutions accountable through objective and fearless reporting.

The advocacy visit formed part of the Imole Campaign Council’s engagement with stakeholders ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election, which the council said should reflect the genuine choice of the people of Osun State.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kaduna State chapter, has called for the conduct of a primary election to validly nominate its gubernatorial candidate, either through consensus or a direct primary election.

A statement issued on Friday by Tanko Marafa Tsoriang, the State NDC Publicity Secretary, said, “The Kaduna State NDC members are about to be brazenly denied their statutory (constitutional) right of electing their flag bearer, we shall vehemently oppose this undemocratic move.”

He explained that what happened in Abuja on Tuesday, May 21, was a case of imposition rather than reconciliation, consensus or direct primary election, describing it as “grossly undemocratic, dictatorial” and a violation of the clear provisions of Section 87 (1–3) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The party’s state chapter called on the national leadership to allow for the democratic emergence of its gubernatorial candidate as provided by the Electoral Act 2026, stressing that the law clearly grants NDC members in Kaduna State the power to elect the party’s governorship candidate.

It added that Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026 imposes a legal duty on INEC to extend the period for the nomination of a gubernatorial candidate for any state, such as Kaduna, that was unable to produce a validly nominated candidate on the primary election day.

Tsoriang pleaded with the national leadership not to commit an error that could deny Kaduna State the opportunity to field a candidate for the governorship position in 2027. He warned that any attempt to upload a gubernatorial candidate for Kaduna State who did not emerge from a validly conducted consensus or direct primary election monitored by INEC would deny the state the legal right to field a candidate who would be acceptable to both INEC and the majority of NDC members in Kaduna State.

“We advise our amiable national leadership to please take advantage of the clear provisions of Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026 to write INEC as provided by Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026 to come and monitor the primary election or consensus to produce a validly nominated and widely accepted gubernatorial candidate. Anything short of this shall not augur well for the Kaduna State chapter of NDC,” the statement said.