The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has rejected allegations by former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the ruling party were responsible for the omission of the NDC governorship candidate from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list.
The candidate at the centre of the controversy is Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo, who is seeking to contest the 2027 governorship election in Kano State.
The Kano APC Chairman, Umar Haruna-Doguwa, described Kwankwaso’s allegation as false and baseless, accusing him of attempting to discredit the ruling party and its governorship candidate.
Doguwa made the position known in a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.
According to him, the legal dispute responsible for the candidate’s absence from INEC’s list originated from disagreements within the NDC rather than any interference by the APC or the Kano State Government.
He maintained that neither Governor Yusuf nor the APC had any involvement in the legal proceedings concerning Abdussalam-Gwarzo.
The APC chairman explained that the case was instituted by aggrieved members of the NDC against their own party, insisting that attempts to link the ruling party to the matter were misleading.
He said the allegations were an attempt to divert public attention from the internal challenges facing the opposition party.
APC CHALLENGES KWANKWASO TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE
Doguwa further denied claims that the APC or its governorship candidate sponsored, influenced or facilitated the court action against the NDC candidate.
He challenged Kwankwaso to provide credible and verifiable evidence connecting Governor Yusuf or the APC to the proceedings instead of making accusations that could heighten political tension in the state.
The chairman also emphasised that the judiciary operates independently and that neither the ruling party nor the state governor has the authority to dictate its decisions.
He described the allegations as political blackmail, particularly given Kwankwaso’s position as the NDC’s vice-presidential candidate.
NDC CANDIDATE’S NAME REMAINS ABSENT FROM INEC LIST
The controversy followed the omission of Abdussalam-Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from INEC’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general election.
The commission’s updated list, released on October 31, also excluded both candidates from the Kano State governorship section.
Kwankwaso had alleged that the Kano State Government initially attempted to influence INEC to exclude the NDC candidate but resorted to legal action after the alleged effort failed.
He also claimed that associates of the governor instituted court proceedings against the NDC and INEC without adequately informing the affected candidate.
Kwankwaso insisted that Abdussalam-Gwarzo and his running mate met the constitutional requirements to contest the election.
COURT PROCEEDINGS AT THE CENTRE OF THE DISPUTE
The dispute is linked to a case filed by three individuals against INEC and the NDC at the Federal High Court in Kano.
In an interim ruling, Justice Samuel Amobeda restrained INEC from publishing or altering the NDC governorship candidate list for Kano State pending the hearing of a substantive application.
The order also prohibited the electoral commission from adding to, removing from or making changes to the relevant candidate list while the matter remained before the court.
The case was subsequently scheduled for hearing on November 2, 2026.
APC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
Despite the disagreement, the Kano APC said it supports the participation of eligible opposition candidates in the 2027 elections.
Doguwa maintained that the party had no reason to prevent any political organisation from presenting candidates for the election.
He urged political actors to allow the courts and other relevant institutions to handle the dispute without turning the proceedings into a political confrontation.
The chairman also called on members of the public to disregard claims linking the APC and Governor Yusuf to the legal dispute.
He reiterated that neither the party nor its governorship candidate had any direct or indirect involvement in the proceedings or decisions concerning the NDC candidate.
The dispute remains a significant development ahead of the 2027 Kano governorship election, with the final outcome of the legal proceedings expected to determine the NDC’s participation in the contest.
