The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State of orchestrating a plot to exclude its governorship flagbearer, Aminu Abdussalam, from the upcoming 2027 electoral ballot. Following the omission of Mr Abdussalam and his running mate, Mustapha Kwankwaso, from the final list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on October 11, party leaders have blamed state authorities for engineering the setback through covert legal actions.
Key developments in the political dispute include:
- The omission of Aminu Abdussalam and Mustapha Kwankwaso from the INEC candidate roster issued on October 11 and maintained in subsequent updates.
- An ex parte application filed at the Federal High Court in Kano under Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/440/2026, which resulted in an interim injunction restraining INEC from altering the gubernatorial candidate list.
- Direct accusations from NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso alleging that state government allies initiated secret litigation to secure the candidate's disqualification.
- A categorical rejection of the allegations by Kano State APC Chairman Umar Doguwa, who maintained that the crisis stems entirely from internal NDC primary disputes rather than external interference.
How did the political standoff unfold?
The controversy intensified after INEC released its final candidate list, which omitted the names of the NDC standard-bearers. Speaking via a social media broadcast, Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed that the ruling party initially attempted to pressure the electoral commission into dropping the opposition candidate directly. When that alleged effort failed, he stated, state-backed actors covertly sponsored aggrieved individuals to initiate legal proceedings without public notice.
"What he wanted was for INEC to declare that there was no governorship candidate in Kano NDC. When that did not happen, they went to court seeking the disqualification of our candidate," Mr Kwankwaso remarked, alluding to Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf. He insisted that the flagbearers met all constitutional thresholds regarding age and educational qualifications and maintained that the ruling party was merely evading a direct contest at the polls.
What is the position of the ruling party?
Countering these assertions, Kano APC Chairman Umar Doguwa dismissed the claims as false, baseless political blackmail. Mr Doguwa clarified that the legal challenge originated from internal wrangling among disgruntled party members rather than any directive from the state government or the APC.
"The case originated from the internal crisis within the NDC," Mr Doguwa stated, challenging the opposition to present verifiable evidence linking the ruling party to the lawsuit. He argued that the accusations were a deliberate distraction intended to draw public attention away from the internal disarray plaguing the opposition platform.
What are the details of the court action?
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Kano has stepped into the dispute. Justice Samuel Amobeda issued an interim injunction in Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/440/2026, barring INEC from publishing or altering the candidate list concerning the NDC for the 2027 gubernatorial race.
The lawsuit was brought forward by three plaintiffs—Garba Isa, Yau Nasiru, and Atiku Jamilu-Abubakar—with legal representation from S.A. Abdullahi. Justice Amobeda granted the interim reliefs following an ex parte motion filed on October 17, ordering an accelerated hearing and setting the next legal proceedings for November 2.