Kwankwasiyya reacts to reports of Kwankwaso’s alleged threat to quit NDC

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has dismissed widespread media reports claiming its leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, threatened to quit the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over alleged disputes surrounding candidate lists in Kano State.

Speculation arose after the national and state leadership of the NDC substituted several legislative candidates submitted by the Kwankwasiyya bloc in Kano State.

Reports suggested that the adjustments, which impacted federal constituencies and state assembly tickets, breached initial power-sharing arrangements and that Kwankwaso would pull his political structure out of the party in protest.

The party leadership maintained that the changes were necessary to enforce an agreed 60/40 power-sharing formula between the Kwankwasiyya movement (60%) and the pioneer NDC structure (40%).

Reacting to the reports in an interview on Monday, Kwankwasiyya spokesperson, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, described the claims as unverified rumours circulating on social media.

“Well, this is still a rumour. It is just being circulated on social media,” he said.

Mohammed maintained that the faction conducted its primary elections in accordance with the law and the timetable issued 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 explained that the primaries followed a consensus-building process that produced candidates for various positions without any significant 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 successfully concluded and the list of candidates was forwarded to the party leadership for necessary action.

“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 stressed that there had been no discussion within the faction regarding 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.