Five candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing influential figures within the party of allegedly plotting to undermine their chances of contesting the 2027 general elections.
The candidates urged the electoral commission to resist political pressure and ensure that the dispute over the party’s nominations is handled in accordance with the law and relevant court decisions. Their allegations were contained in a petition submitted to INEC through its Kano office.
The affected candidates are Abdulmajid Isah Umar, representing the Gwale Federal Constituency; Shaaban Ibrahim Sharada of Kano Municipal; Ismaeel Idris Sani of Kumbotso; Ibrahim Bashiru Bango of Sumaila/Takai; and Nasir Alli Ahmed of Nasarawa.
In the petition signed by their counsel, Bola Aidi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the candidates alleged that certain party officials had resorted to protests, petitions and media campaigns in an attempt to challenge their emergence through the party’s nomination process.
Dispute over nominations and court judgments.
The candidates maintained that they fulfilled the party’s prescribed requirements, including purchasing nomination forms, undergoing screening and clearance, and participating in the relevant primaries.
Their counsel argued that the party’s national leadership had recognised their nominations and had previously approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to secure the uploading of their names by INEC.
The petition also referred to decisions delivered by the Federal High Court in Kano on October 14, 2026, which the candidates said affirmed the candidacies of two of the five individuals, while proceedings concerning the others remained unresolved at the time of the reports. They called for the relevant judgments to be respected, subject to any subsequent lawful court orders.
The candidates further alleged that protests organised after the court decisions were intended to influence the handling of the dispute and prevent them from appearing on the ballot under the NDC platform.
Counter-petition over INEC monitoring reports.
The crisis has also drawn attention to allegations concerning INEC official Mrs Hauwa Buhari, who was accused in a separate petition of issuing multiple inconsistent monitoring reports relating to the party’s Kano primaries.
The Kano NDC chapter’s legal representatives reportedly asked INEC to investigate the alleged discrepancies, withdraw defective versions of the reports and establish which document accurately reflects the party’s nominations. The five candidates, however, argued that allegations against the official should be investigated impartially and should not be used to discredit their candidacies without credible evidence.
The competing petitions have exposed a deepening disagreement over which candidates were validly nominated and which records should guide the commission’s decisions.
Candidates ask INEC to preserve records.
The five candidates called on INEC to preserve original monitoring reports, official correspondence, electronic records and other documents relating to the disputed primaries.
They also urged the commission to remain neutral, protect its officials from improper pressure and avoid administrative steps that could prejudice pending legal proceedings. Their counsel stressed that court judgments should be respected unless overturned or otherwise lawfully varied by a competent court.
The dispute comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections, when disagreements over nominations could lead to further litigation and internal divisions.
The allegations against party figures and the INEC official remain contested claims raised in separate petitions. The dispute underscores the importance of transparent party primaries, reliable electoral records and impartial dispute resolution as preparations for the next general election continue.
