The Kwankwasiyya faction has dismissed reports claiming that former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso plans to leave the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over alleged disagreements about candidate lists in Kano State.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Kwankwasiyya spokesperson Habeeb Saleh Mohammed described the claims as rumours spreading on social media.
“Well, this is still a rumour. It is just being circulated on social media,” he said.
Mohammed said the faction conducted its primary elections in line with the law and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The reality is that we conducted our primaries according to the law and in line with the INEC timetable. We held our primaries on May 29, just as was done across the country,” he said.
He said the primaries followed a consensus process that produced candidates for different positions without major objections.
“Before that date, there were processes that led to consensus and candidates emerged for different positions. There were no complaints from party members or aspirants during that period,” Mohammed stated.
According to him, the exercise was completed successfully and the candidates’ list was submitted to the party leadership.
“I believe we conducted the process successfully and submitted the list to the party. It is now left for the party to do what it considers appropriate,” he added.
Mohammed also said the faction had never discussed any plan by Kwankwaso to leave the NDC.
“From our own perspective, these are issues we keep hearing here and there. There was never a time when it was discussed that our party leader, Kwankwaso, is leaving the party. That is our position,” he said.
The clarification follows reports alleging that the NDC replaced several candidates linked to the Kwankwasiyya faction in Kano State over an alleged breach of a 60-40 power-sharing arrangement said to favour Kwankwaso’s bloc. The reports cited a document reportedly signed by the Kano State NDC Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Isah Mairiga, on Monday.
