The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of governorship candidates for the Kano State election, but Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, is noticeably absent. The list, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains 17 governorship candidates and their running mates from various political parties contesting the election in Kano State. Gwarzo's absence from the list has raised questions about his eligibility to contest the election.
A review of the three-page document shows that the candidates listed include Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abacha Muhammed Sani of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and candidates from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and other political parties. The list also includes candidates from smaller parties such as the Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and New Democratic Party (NDP).
Gwarzo's absence from the list comes amid Kwankwaso's political involvement in the NDC, where the former Kano governor has been associated with efforts to position the party ahead of the 2027 elections. Kwankwaso's involvement in the NDC has been seen as a significant development in Kano politics, and Gwarzo's candidacy was expected to be a major contender in the election. The reasons for Gwarzo's exclusion from the list are not immediately clear.
This is not the only case of a candidate being missing from INEC's final list. In Gombe State, the name of Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate, is also missing from INEC's final list despite his emergence as the party's flagbearer following a fresh primary election. Pantami's candidacy had been challenged in court by an aspirant, Usman Aliyu Garry, who disputed the process through which the former minister initially emerged as the party's flagbearer.
The Federal High Court in Gombe subsequently nullified the initial nomination and ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary. Pantami later contested the fresh primary and emerged as the party's candidate again. His absence from the final list has therefore raised further questions about the status of the PDP ticket in Gombe. Similarly, in Ogun State, Adebutu and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, are also missing from INEC's final list.
Adebutu's candidacy has been the subject of questions over compliance with electoral requirements, including the submission of party membership registers. The Ogun PDP has maintained that its candidate met the relevant requirements and has disputed allegations concerning his eligibility. The three cases have drawn attention to the legal and administrative requirements governing political party primaries, membership registers, and the submission of candidates' particulars to INEC.
The circumstances surrounding the three omissions are not necessarily the same, and INEC's published lists do not, by themselves, establish the specific reasons for excluding the candidates. The development has sparked concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the eligibility of candidates to contest the elections. The affected parties have been advised to seek redress in court or through other available channels.
Key points
- Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the NDC governorship candidate in Kano, is missing from the final list of governorship candidates released by INEC.
- The reasons for Gwarzo's exclusion from the list are not immediately clear.
- Similar cases of missing candidates have been reported in Gombe and Ogun States.
