The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has clarified the widespread reports claiming that party leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is threatening to exit the political party due to disagreements over the Kano State power-sharing formula.
The clarification was made by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, during an interview with News Central on Tuesday.
When asked to confirm the validity of the rumours, Director acknowledged that the party is aware of the situation.
He said, “I’ve heard about it. I’ve not only heard about it, we are in the middle of everything.” He revealed that internal tensions had already begun brewing before the news went public, adding, “I remember when a press release was going to be issued by some members of the NDC who are from Kano. We adviced against it, but I think that press release still leaked.”
Director said disagreements are standard part of political party development. He explained that “the truth is that in every political organisation or political party, you must have disagreement. And I will not be tired of saying that before we are trying to have a team. And in the formation of a team, you must pass through some challenges.”
According to the party spokesperson, the leadership is actively working to resolve these internal frictions transparently. He noted, “We are in the process of sorting out when there are differences and there are conflicts, which at the end of the day,we are open and sincere about confronting it with everybody being carried along.”
However, he denied the rumours that Kwankwaso threatened to leave the party.
His words, “The truth is that there is no truth in the statements that His Excellency Dr. Rabiu Musa KwanKwanso is threatening to leave the NDC. No, that is far from it.” Director attributed the speculation to external political opponents, describing the reports as “just media conjectures and rumours, which have been intensified by those who want to see the NDC collapse, by those who are envious of the great stature of NDC as the political bride of Nigeria today.”
“So His Excellency, our leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwan Kwanso, has not, and is not threatening to leave the NDC.”
“But the truth is that just as you have in Kano, you also have in other places where people are still reconciling the candidates that will fly our flag.”
Director pointed to statutory electoral guidelines as the root cause of the friction among aspirants, explaining that “by virtue of Section 84 of the Electoral Act, we only have two means of electing candidate consensus on direct primaries.” This strict framework, he said, naturally leads to grievances from those who do not secure tickets, “And in areas where we are unable to have a consensus, the people want to vie for direct primaries. And when people lose, naturally, they will give you their own version of the story that suits them, that, oh, they actually won and all that.”
“So we are in the process of collating all this, and we are very, very happy that we have a strong leader in the person of Rabiu Musa KwanKwanso, who also is leading an organic movement over the years that has transcended beyond the boundaries of Kano, and now been given a national image and a platform.”
He added, “So we are collaborating with him. The leadership of the party is on top of the matter to reconcile not only that of Engineer Rabiu Musa KwanKwanso in Kano, but in other states that will have challenges.”
“But firmly speaking and truthfully speaking, Engineer Rabi Musa Kwan Kwanso, His Excellency, has not, and is not threatening to leave the NDC.”
Reports emerged on Monday indicating that the former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, threatened to leave the party. This followed decisions by the NDC to swap multiple candidates from the Kwankwasiyya faction to enforce a pre-arranged 60/40 power-sharing formula intended to give his faction a 60% share.
According to a document signed by the Kano State NDC Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga, the party substituted several candidates previously submitted by the Kwankwasiyya faction because of an alleged infraction of the power-sharing terms. Mairiga noted that these modifications were executed to properly align with the original agreement dividing party administration and elective tickets between the pioneer NDC structure and the Kwankwasiyya group.
The National Leader of the opposition party, Senator Seriake Dickson, alongside Kwankwaso and the NDC North-West Zonal Chairman, were copied in the document.
Under the updated list, the party approved Barrister Isma’il Idris Sani for Kumbotso, Nasiru Ali Ahmed for Nassarawa, Kabiru Ishaq Sa’id for Kano Municipal, Barrister Dayyabu Jamilu Ibrahim for Doguwa/Tudun Wada, Muhammad Hamisu Abubakar for Dawakin Tofa/Rimin Gado/Tofa, Ibrahim Bashir Bango for Sumaila/Takai, and Abdulmajid Isa Umar Mairigar Fata for Gwale Federal Constituencies.
The party also implemented modifications for the Kano State House of Assembly tickets within the Dala, Tarauni, Kumbotso, Ungogo, and Dawakin Kudu constituencies.
The NDC maintained that a standing policy required elective positions and party offices to be allocated on a 60-40 percentage ratio, ensuring the Kwankwasiyya faction obtained 60% while the founding party structure kept 40%.
