Kwankwasiyya Protests Gwarzo’s Omission From INEC List, Petitions Commission

Hundreds of Kwankwasiyya Movement supporters on Friday protested at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office in Kano over the omission of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from the list of candidates for the 2027 election.

The protesters, led by the party’s deputy governorship candidate, Mustapha Kwankwaso, submitted a petition to the commission, demanding the reinstatement of Gwarzo and an investigation into alleged irregularities in the substitution of some candidates.

Kwankwaso, speaking on behalf of Gwarzo, said the party had complied with INEC’s nomination requirements, describing the omission as unjust.

Receiving the petition, the Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, said the commission had provided an opportunity for affected parties to appeal, with the deadline set for October 24.

He assured the protesters that their complaint would be forwarded to INEC’s national headquarters for consideration.

Zango also commended the group for conducting a peaceful protest, stressing the commission’s neutrality in handling electoral matters.

In a separate interview, the Kwankwasiyya Movement spokesperson, Dr Habib Mohammed, said the petition also sought 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 headquarters, resulting in the substitution of some of the movement’s candidates in Kano.

He said the group believed the staff member had dealt with individuals who were not authorised to communicate with INEC on behalf of the party.

“We have asked INEC to investigate the officer before taking further action,” Mohammed said.

He added that the movement was satisfied with the assurances given by the resident electoral commissioner and expected him to forward the petition to the national headquarters.

INEC had earlier announced that political parties whose governorship candidates were excluded from the final list could submit complaints over the omissions on or before October 24.