The Kwankwasiyya Movement argued that INEC did not adduce any reason for leaving them out of the Kano governorship contest.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Kwankwasiyya Movement has said it is confident that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, whose names were omitted from the final list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will be restored.
The movement made this known on Sunday when its spokesperson, Habibu Mohammed, appeared as a guest on an Arise Television programme.
INEC had earlier dropped Gwarzo and Kwankwaso from the final list of candidates who will take part in the 2027 governorship election in Kano State.
The latest list published by the electoral commission comes after a Supreme Court judgment regarding party membership, which was delivered on 24 September in compliance with the statutory requirements governing the submission and use of political parties’ membership registers for party primaries, congresses, and conventions.
Reacting to the development, Mohammed noted that the omission of Gwarzo and his running mate, Kwankwaso, came as a shock since there were no prior issues or court cases.
He, however, emphasised that they would explore the 14-day statutory window provided by electoral laws to seek redress and formally engage INEC to correct the error.
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He further said the electoral umpire did not give any reason for leaving them out, insisting they met all the requirements for contesting the election.
Revealing the movement’s next line of action during the interview, Mohammed said: “It came as a shock because there had been no issue with INEC. Gwarzo, a former deputy governor, is registered with the NDC and met the stipulated deadline.
“Electoral provisions give candidates 14 days to seek redress if their names are omitted from the list. We will explore that opportunity and engage with INEC,” he said.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement’s spokesperson added: “Actually, we believe there is no particular reason for the omission. INEC itself has not advanced any reason. We believe it may be an administrative error or something else because we do not have any pending judgment or court order.
“This is a man who has already served as a deputy governor, so we cannot even question his qualification. We also believe he was duly registered with the NDC within the stipulated period.
“Therefore, the omission came as a shock. However, in politics, we have seen many things, and we believe there are always ways to resolve issues. There is also a provision in the Electoral Act.
“If he is not on INEC’s list, I believe the Kwankwasiyya Movement, being law-abiding and committed to doing things the right way, will explore that opportunity and engage INEC. We are confident that the matter will be resolved because we see no reason why it should be otherwise.”
