The Kwankwassiyya Movement has outlined its planned response after Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for deputy governor in Kano State, was left off the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final candidate register.
Kwankwaso and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the NDC’s governorship candidate, did not appear on the list issued by INEC. The party has called the exclusion a mistake and said it is pursuing a correction.
Habibu Mohammed, spokesperson for the Kwankwassiyya Movement, said in an Arise Television interview that there appeared to be no basis for the candidates’ omission. He said the movement would formally approach INEC in an effort to settle the matter.
“The development was surprising because there had been no problem with INEC,” Mohammed said. “Kwankwaso, a former deputy governor, is registered under the NDC and met the required deadline.
“Election rules allow candidates 14 days to pursue remedies when their names are missing from the published list. We will use that window and engage INEC.”
He said INEC had not provided any explanation for leaving out the ticket, adding that the movement saw no specific justification for the decision. In his view, the issue could be an administrative lapse or another unidentified problem, as there was no pending court ruling or judicial order affecting the candidates.
Mohammed said Kwankwaso’s past service as deputy governor left little room to question his eligibility. He added that the movement believed the candidate had completed registration with the NDC within the prescribed timeframe.
“That is why the omission was unexpected,” he said. “But politics has produced many unexpected developments, and there are mechanisms for resolving disputes. The Electoral Act also provides a route for action.
“If his name remains absent from INEC’s register, the Kwankwassiyya Movement, as a law-abiding group committed to following due process, will take advantage of the available provisions and engage the commission. We are confident the issue will be resolved because we cannot see why it should not be.”
