BREAKING: NDC Leaders Resist Kwankwaso Ahead Of 2027 Elections
Fresh internal tensions have emerged within the New Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State as senior party officials accused former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of allegedly sidelining stakeholders and attempting to dominate the party’s structure in the state.
The allegations were made in a joint statement by the NDC North-West Vice Chairman, Mohammed Rabiu Serina, and the Kano State Chairman, Hussaini Isa Mariga, who claimed that efforts to ensure internal inclusiveness were being undermined by a factional approach linked to the Kwankwasiyya movement.
According to the officials, the situation escalated during the party’s nomination process, where they alleged that access to nomination forms was restricted to members aligned with the Kwankwasiyya Movement, leaving other party members excluded from participation.
Serina explained that upon the party’s registration, the National Leader of the NDC, Henry Seriake Dickson, appointed him and Mariga as pro tem officers, positions later confirmed at congresses and the party’s national convention. He said they were initially tasked with building party structures before Kwankwaso’s entry into the party.
He further stated that Kwankwaso’s admission into the NDC was facilitated by the party leadership, with directives that all stakeholders should cooperate to strengthen the emerging political platform. However, disagreements reportedly began during state congresses over control of the Kano structure.
Serina alleged that Kwankwaso sought full control of the party in Kano, but following interventions by the national leadership, an agreement was reached granting 60 per cent control of the state structure to Kwankwaso’s group, while the remaining 40 per cent was retained by existing stakeholders.
Despite this arrangement, the NDC officials claimed tensions resurfaced during the nomination phase, when forms for elective positions—including 40 State House of Assembly seats, 24 House of Representatives tickets, three senatorial slots, and the governorship ticket—were allegedly not made available to non-Kwankwasiyya members.
“We are not members of the Kwankwasiyya movement, and we cannot accept a situation where membership of a particular group becomes the only criterion for participation or eligibility for elective office,” Serina said.
The officials also alleged that mediation efforts by the party’s National Working Committee failed, despite multiple interventions, including meetings reportedly held with Kwankwaso to encourage broader stakeholder inclusion.
They further claimed that prominent political figures such as former House of Representatives member, Nasiru Ali Ahmed, and former senator, Kabiru Gaya, were among those affected by the dispute over nomination access.
Serina maintained that no individual or political bloc should dominate the party, stressing that the NDC was built on collective participation rather than personal control. He also argued that party finances and operations in Kano predated Kwankwaso’s entry, adding that there was no record of financial contributions from the former governor to state or national structures beyond formal campaign-related requests.
He and Mariga, however, reaffirmed their commitment to internal dialogue and party unity, insisting they remained open to working with Kwankwaso under conditions of mutual respect and inclusiveness.
“The NDC belongs to all members, not any individual or political movement,” the statement added, while warning that continued internal friction could threaten party cohesion in Kano State.
