The All Progressives Congress in Kano State has rejected an allegation by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso that it and Governor Abba Yusuf were behind the omission of the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate's name from the list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The candidate at the centre of the dispute is Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo of the NDC. According to Vanguard News, the party's response was contained in a statement issued in Kano on Tuesday by the APC's state chairman, Alhaji Umar Haruna-Doguwa, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria.
In the statement, the APC described the allegation as untrue and without foundation, calling it an effort to pressure the party and its governorship candidate through public accusation. The party said the matter instead grew out of a dispute inside the NDC itself.
Why it matters
The exchange puts a spotlight on how candidate lists are settled ahead of the 2027 general elections, and on the courts as a battleground for intra-party disputes. A governorship candidate's absence from INEC's list can reshape the contest in a state as politically weighty as Kano, so claims about who caused that absence carry real consequences.
It also places the state chapter of the ruling party and the state governor directly in the argument, at a time when opposition parties are preparing for the same election cycle. The APC's answer is that the accusation misdirects attention away from problems inside the NDC.
APC points to NDC's own legal fight
Haruna-Doguwa said the legal proceedings concerning Abdussalam-Gwarzo were brought by members of the NDC against the party itself. Neither the APC, its governorship candidate nor the Kano State Government started the case, he said.
The chairman stated that the party and the governor had no involvement of any kind in the litigation surrounding the NDC candidate. He argued that tying the APC and its candidate to the matter was misleading and served to divert attention from the internal difficulties the NDC is facing.
He further said the APC did not sponsor, influence or help facilitate the court action against Abdussalam-Gwarzo. On the courts, he noted that the judiciary operates independently of the executive and that neither the APC nor its governorship candidate can direct how proceedings or decisions turn out.
The statement challenged Kwankwaso to produce credible, checkable evidence connecting the APC or Governor Yusuf to the case, rather than making claims that could confuse the public and raise political tension.
The APC characterised the allegation as an attempt at political blackmail, pointing out that Kwankwaso is the vice-presidential candidate of the NDC. Haruna-Doguwa added that every qualified candidate has a constitutional right to take part in the 2027 general elections in line with the law.
He restated the APC's commitment to democratic principles and said the party welcomes opposition participation in the electoral process. According to him, the APC has no reason to scheme against any party or candidate, and he urged the public to disregard efforts to link the party and its governorship candidate to the NDC's internal legal dispute.
The chairman closed by repeating that neither the party nor its candidate had any direct or indirect hand in the proceedings or in any decision affecting the NDC's candidate.
Coverage of the dispute has spread across several Nigerian outlets. LEADERSHIP Newspapers reported the APC's denial of any plan to disqualify the Kano NDC governorship candidate, while Businessday NG focused on the party's position that the NDC's internal crisis explains Gwarzo's absence from the INEC candidate list. PM News Nigeria and Legit News reported the APC's call on Kwankwaso to stop shifting blame.
What to watch
The next development is likely to turn on evidence: whether Kwankwaso's camp produces documentation linking the APC or the governor to the suit, and how the NDC's internal case before the courts is resolved.
