A fresh crisis has erupted within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State as top North-West party leaders accused former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of attempting to dominate the party structure and marginalise members outside his political base.
The allegations were contained in a petition jointly signed by the party’s North-West Vice Chairman, Mohammed Serina, and the Kano State Chairman, Hussaini Mariga, which was reportedly forwarded to the party’s National Leader, Seriake Dickson.
The aggrieved officials alleged that although Kwankwaso was warmly received into the party and accorded significant influence, he had allegedly moved to consolidate full control of the Kano structure at the expense of founding members and other stakeholders.
Serina said tensions began during the state congresses, where the former governor was accused of attempting to take over the entire party machinery in Kano.
He explained that while party leaders initially worked to accommodate Kwankwaso following his entry into the NDC, disagreements emerged over the distribution of influence within the state chapter.
According to him, an earlier reconciliation meeting convened by the national leadership reportedly resolved that Kwankwaso and his supporters would control 60 per cent of the party structure in Kano, while other stakeholders retained 40 per cent.
However, Serina alleged that the arrangement later broke down during the nomination process for elective positions, as access to nomination forms became a major source of contention.
He claimed that forms were allegedly concentrated within the Kwankwasiyya political bloc, leaving out party officials and aspirants not aligned with the group.
Serina further alleged that repeated appeals for wider inclusion were ignored, including requests to allocate a number of forms to non-Kwankwasiyya members to ensure broader participation in the primaries.
He also claimed that several aspirants across constituencies—including House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial and governorship positions—were effectively excluded from the process.
The North-West vice chairman said the situation had triggered growing disaffection within the party, prompting formal petitions to the national leadership and the National Working Committee.
According to him, the party leadership had made attempts to mediate the dispute, including meetings with Kwankwaso, but the issues remained unresolved.
The leaders maintained that no individual or political bloc should be allowed to dominate party structures to the exclusion of others, warning that such a trend could undermine internal democracy.
Reacting, the Kwankwasiyya Movement dismissed the allegations, describing them as baseless and misleading.
A spokesperson for the group, Habibu Muhammed, insisted that nomination forms were handled strictly by the party and not controlled by any political faction within the NDC.
He argued that the primary process had already commenced before the latest complaints emerged, adding that all aspirants had equal access to participate in the exercise.
Muhammed further maintained that claims of exclusion were unfounded, stressing that no member was denied the opportunity to obtain nomination forms.
A source within the Kwankwaso camp also dismissed the allegations, accusing the aggrieved party leaders of attempting to distort the primaries due to internal setbacks.
The source claimed that the accusations were politically motivated and aimed at undermining ongoing processes within the party, insisting that due procedures were followed in the distribution of nomination forms.
As tensions persist, observers say the dispute could deepen divisions within the NDC in Kano State if not urgently addressed by the party’s national leadership.
0 Comments