Kwankwaso Threatens To Dump NDC
Fresh cracks may be emerging within the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following reports that former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is considering leaving the party over a dispute surrounding candidate nominations in Kano State.
The controversy reportedly stems from the NDC leadership’s decision to alter a number of candidates earlier submitted by the Kwankwasiyya political movement in order to enforce a previously agreed power-sharing arrangement between the bloc and the party’s established structure.
According to a document reportedly signed by the Kano State NDC Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga, the changes were necessitated by the need to uphold an understanding that allocated 60 percent of elective positions and party offices to the Kwankwasiyya camp, while the existing NDC structure retained 40 percent.
Mairiga explained that the revised nominations were intended to reflect the terms of the agreement reached by both sides following Kwankwasiyya’s integration into the party. The document was said to have been copied to NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, Kwankwaso, and the party’s North-West zonal leadership.
As part of the adjustments, the party approved a fresh list of candidates for several federal constituencies across Kano State, including Kumbotso, Nassarawa, Kano Municipal, Doguwa/Tudun Wada, Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado/Tofa, Sumaila/Takai and Gwale. Changes were also made to candidates seeking seats in the Kano State House of Assembly in constituencies such as Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo and Dawakin Kudu.
Sources within the party said the move has generated tension within the Kwankwasiyya camp, with reports indicating that Kwankwaso is unhappy over the replacement of some loyalists and may reconsider his future in the NDC if the dispute is not resolved.
The development comes only days after the party unveiled a major opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 general election. On May 31, NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, formally announced Kwankwaso as his running mate, cementing a political partnership between two influential opposition figures.
The Obi-Kwankwaso ticket was widely seen as a significant realignment in Nigeria’s opposition landscape, bringing together powerful political networks with strong support bases across different regions of the country.
However, the latest disagreement over candidate nominations in Kano has raised questions about the stability of the alliance and the party’s ability to manage competing interests within its growing coalition as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.