Southern Kaduna NDC Stakeholders Reject Alleged Candidate Imposition, Demand Fresh Primary

Stakeholders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Southern Kaduna have rejected what they described as the alleged imposition of Mohammed Sani Abbas as the party’s governorship candidate in Kaduna State.

The call was contained in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the Chairman of Southern Kaduna NDC Stakeholders, James Sule.

The stakeholders urged the party’s national leadership to urgently resolve the governorship ticket dispute to prevent it from affecting the party’s electoral prospects in the 2027 general election.

According to the statement, the name of the Kaduna State chairman of the party, Evangelist Mordecai Sunday Ibrahim, was affirmed and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the NDC failed to conduct its scheduled governorship primary on May 29.

The stakeholders explained that Ibrahim’s affirmation was intended as an interim arrangement to pave the way for the peaceful emergence of either a consensus candidate or a duly nominated governorship candidate through a direct primary.

They, however, expressed concern over what they described as the emergence of Mohammed Sani Abbas as the party’s governorship candidate without a valid nomination through either a consensus arrangement or a direct primary.

Describing the development as an undemocratic attempt to impose a candidate, the stakeholders argued that the move failed to reflect the wishes of party members and ignored what they described as the party’s growing visibility and electoral strength in Southern Kaduna.

The stakeholders called on the party’s leadership to facilitate the emergence of a consensus candidate or urgently organise a substitution primary in line with the provisions of Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026, to be monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The stakeholders also called on Evangelist Ibrahim to resign as what they described as the party’s surrogate governorship candidate to pave the way for a substitution primary involving the four aspirants seeking the NDC governorship ticket.

They stressed that they were not insisting that the governorship candidate must come from Southern Kaduna, but maintained that due process should be followed by allowing members across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State to exercise their constitutional right to elect the party’s flag bearer through a direct primary.

The statement added that Southern Kaduna stakeholders would support whoever emerges through a transparent and democratic process.