By Aisha Garba
The Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says it has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of its governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from the final list of candidates for the 2027 election.
The party says it is awaiting the commission’s response and may seek legal redress if the matter is not resolved before the deadline.
According to Leadership report on October 15, Kano NDC chairman Hussaini Mairiga said the complaint had been submitted through the party’s national leadership following INEC’s directive that affected parties report omissions by October 24.
INEC’s published list of Kano governorship candidates did not include Gwarzo or his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, out of the 17 candidates published for the contest.
Premium Times noted the absence, which has prompted questions about the status of the NDC’s ticket ahead of the governorship election scheduled for February 6, 2027.
Mairiga maintained that Gwarzo was a duly registered member of the party and said the party expected a review of its membership records to establish his eligibility.
INEC gave political parties until October 24, 2026, to notify it of complaints concerning omissions, based on Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The omissions have also drawn attention to a Supreme Court ruling reported by THISDAY on October 12, which restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to membership registers submitted to INEC before party primaries.
As of now, INEC has not restored Gwarzo’s name to the list, and the NDC says it will approach the courts if the commission fails to resolve the matter after the appeal.
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