Fresh tensions have reportedly emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following the replacement of several candidates submitted by the Kwankwasiyya movement in Kano State, a move said to have triggered dissatisfaction within the camp of former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Gatekeepers News reports that the NDC leadership in Kano was said to have effected changes to the list of candidates earlier submitted by the Kwankwasiyya bloc in order to enforce a pre-existing power-sharing arrangement between the movement and the party’s original structure.
A document reportedly signed by the Kano State NDC Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga, indicated that the adjustments were made to ensure compliance with an agreed formula for the distribution of party positions and elective tickets. Copies of the document were said to have been sent to the party’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, Kwankwaso, and the NDC North-West Zonal Chairman.
Mairiga explained that the changes were necessary to reflect the understanding reached between the two groups following the integration of the Kwankwasiyya movement into the party.
Under the revised arrangement, several candidates were approved for federal constituency tickets, while adjustments were also made to candidates seeking seats in the Kano State House of Assembly, particularly in Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo and Dawakin Kudu constituencies.
The party maintained that there was a standing agreement for elective positions and party offices to be shared on a 60-40 basis, with the Kwankwasiyya bloc allocated 60 per cent and the existing NDC structure retaining 40 per cent.
The development comes barely days after the NDC formally unveiled a presidential ticket comprising former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections. Obi was ratified as the party’s presidential candidate, while Kwankwaso was confirmed as his running mate during the party’s convention in Abuja on May 31.
The Obi-Kwankwaso alliance has been widely viewed as one of the most significant opposition realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, bringing together two influential political blocs with strong support bases across different regions of the country.
However, the reported dispute over candidate allocation in Kano highlights the challenges of managing internal interests within the emerging coalition as preparations for the next electoral cycle gather momentum.
