Hundreds of Kwankwasiyya Movement supporters on Friday staged a peaceful protest at the Kano State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the reinstatement of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, allegedly omitted from the commission’s list of candidates for the 2027 elections.
The protesters, led by the party’s Deputy Governorship Candidate, Mustapha Kwankwaso, submitted a formal petition to INEC, insisting that the party had fulfilled the requirements for nominating its candidates.
Kwankwaso described the omission as unjust and called on the electoral commission to address the matter.
Receiving the delegation, Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, said affected parties had until October 24 to appeal against the omission.
He assured the protesters that their petition would receive the necessary attention and be forwarded to INEC’s national headquarters for consideration, while emphasising the commission’s neutrality.
Zango also commended the group for presenting its grievances peacefully and spoke on the ongoing Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise, which began on October 9.
He said INEC planned to extend collection points to Registration Areas to improve accessibility.
In a separate interview, Kwankwasiyya Movement spokesperson, Dr Habib Mohammed, said the petition also called for an investigation into alleged forgery and collusion involving an INEC staff member.
Mohammed alleged that unauthorised letters, some bearing suspected forged signatures, were submitted to the commission’s national headquarters, resulting in the substitution of some NDC candidates in Kano State.
He said the movement had asked INEC to investigate the staff member’s alleged conduct and establish the circumstances surrounding the disputed correspondence and candidate substitutions.
Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the assurances given by the resident electoral commissioner, saying the group expected the petition to be forwarded to the national headquarters for further consideration.
The protest comes amid growing concerns over the status of the NDC’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC’s consideration of the petition and any subsequent decision on the affected candidates remain key to resolving the dispute.