Kano NDC Candidates Accuse Party Leaders Of Plot To Scuttle Candidature

Five candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC) have accused some party leaders in Kano State of attempting to frustrate their participation in the forthcoming general elections through protests, petitions and media campaigns.

The candidates urged the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to resist alleged attempts to intimidate its officials and influence pending court cases over the party’s primaries.

The candidates made the allegations in a petition addressed to the INEC chairman through the Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner, in response to an earlier petition dated October 16, 2026, submitted by Tahir Chambers on behalf of the Kano NDC chapter against an INEC official, Mrs Hauwa Buhari.

The petition, signed by their counsel, Bola Aidi, SAN, identified the affected candidates as Abdulmajid Umar (Gwale), Shaaban Sharada (Kano Municipal), Ismaeel Sani (Kumbotso), Ibrahim Bango (Sumaila/Takai) and Nasir Ahmed (Nasarawa).

Aidi alleged that some officials of the party’s state chapter, acting on the prompting of an influential political leader dissatisfied with the outcome of the primaries, were working to prevent the candidates from contesting the elections.

He maintained that the candidates completed the prescribed nomination processes with the party’s national leadership recognising their nominations.

According to the petition, the national leadership instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1628/2026 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling INEC to upload the names of its nominated candidates.

The counsel said the court granted an interim order directing the commission to upload the names of the affected candidates, among others.

He further disclosed that the Federal High Court in Kano delivered judgments on October 14, 2026, affirming the candidature of two of the five candidates.

Aidi alleged that subsequent protests in Kano and Abuja were intended to undermine the court decisions and influence the remaining cases.

However, he urged INEC to investigate the allegations against Buhari, who was accused in the earlier petition of issuing multiple inconsistent and undated monitoring reports on the party’s primaries.

He said the commission should conduct any investigation impartially and based on credible evidence, warning against using administrative procedures to persecute officials over disputed electoral records.

The counsel also cited Sections 158(1) and 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, on INEC’s institutional independence and the enforcement of court decisions.

He disclosed that his clients had taken steps to involve the police in investigating alleged threats, intimidation and possible interference with judicial proceedings.

The candidates asked INEC to preserve all original monitoring reports, correspondence and electronic records relating to the disputed primaries, while giving effect to subsisting court judgments unless stayed or set aside by a competent court.

They also called on the commission to remain neutral and protect its officials from improper political pressure.

Aidi clarified that his clients were not opposed to peaceful protests or lawful petitions but were concerned about any accompanying intimidation or unlawful conduct.