Crisis Brewing In NDC As Kwankwaso’s Camp Stripped Of Tickets Over Sharing Formula Dispute
A fresh crisis has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State as a dispute over the distribution of tickets threatens to tear the party apart. The conflict centres on an alleged attempt to sideline members who recently joined the party alongside Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement. Initially, both factions had agreed to a 60-40 sharing formula for executive positions and candidates, with Kwankwaso’s camp taking the larger share. The party then selected its executives and candidates through consensus, leading to Kwankwaso emerging as the party’s vice presidential candidate. However, complaints from old members resurfaced nearly ten days after the list of candidates was released, with accusations that Kwankwaso had failed to respect the agreed formula. In response, the Kano chapter leadership wrestled five House of Representatives seats and seven state assembly tickets away from Kwankwaso’s nominees and handed them to old members. A document signed by the NDC chairman in Kano, Hussaini Isah Mairiga, confirmed the changes. The party’s spokesman, Ibrahim Waya, said they had repeatedly asked Kwankwasiyya members to listen to their grievances but were ignored. He warned that they would take even more seats, including a senate seat, insisting that the 12 federal and state seats they currently hold do not amount to the required 40 per cent. Meanwhile, the Kwankwasiyya Movement’s spokesperson, Habibu Saleh Mohammed, expressed shock that the party raised the issue so long after the consensus list had been agreed upon, stating that they were studying the situation. Political analyst Dr Kabiru Sa’id Sufi warned that the crisis could undermine the chances of the NDC’s presidential ticket, noting that defections from Kano, regarded as the party’s northern stronghold, would have direct consequences. He advised that the two sides must make concessions quickly to avoid further damage.
