KANO: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted the names of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Comrade Abdussalam Aminu Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from its final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The development has raised questions about the party’s preparations for the Kano governorship race, particularly as the NDC seeks to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in one of Nigeria’s most politically influential states.
INEC published the final list of governorship candidates and their running mates on its website on Saturday evening, October 10, 2026. The document contained candidates from 17 political parties, but neither Gwarzo nor Kwankwaso appeared on the list.
Among the governorship candidates listed were Abba Kabir Yusuf and his running mate, Murtala Sule Garo, representing the APC, as well as Abacha Muhammad Sani and Kibiya Yusuf Ado of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Other parties represented on the list included the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and several others.
Gwarzo reportedly emerged as the NDC’s consensus governorship candidate, with Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso selected as his running mate.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State commissioner for youth and the eldest son of former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was reportedly nominated as part of the party’s strategy to challenge the APC in the 2027 election.
However, the absence of both candidates from INEC’s final list has cast uncertainty over their participation in the governorship contest.
As of the time of the report, the NDC leadership in Kano had not publicly explained the reason for the omission.
The state chairman of the party, Hussaini Mairiga, was reportedly unavailable for comment when contacted.
Reacting to the development, the Kano State spokesperson of the APC, Auwalu Soja, said his party was not surprised by the omission, citing allegations previously raised about the documentation of the NDC candidates.
Soja alleged that questions had been raised over inconsistencies in Gwarzo’s date of birth and the information contained in his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
He also questioned the educational records of Kwankwaso, claiming there was uncertainty about whether the NDC deputy governorship candidate studied at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), or Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).
According to the APC spokesperson, the party had previously drawn attention to these alleged discrepancies.
However, the allegations were claims made by the APC spokesperson, and no independent confirmation of the claims or an official explanation from INEC establishing the reason for the candidates’ omission was provided in the report.
The omission appears to extend beyond the governorship contest.
Nasiru Sule Garo, who reportedly emerged as the NDC’s senatorial candidate for Kano North, was also absent from INEC’s final list.
Garo had reportedly commenced his senatorial campaign before the development and was seeking to unseat the incumbent Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin of the APC.
According to the list obtained by The Guardian, Usman Sunusi Danbatta was instead listed as the NDC’s candidate for the Kano North Senatorial District.
The change raises further questions about the party’s candidate-selection process and the status of its earlier nominations.
Meanwhile, former Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau appeared on INEC’s list as the APC candidate for the Kano Central Senatorial District.
He is expected to face Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, a former deputy governor of Kano State who is listed as the NDC’s candidate and is reportedly backed by Kwankwaso.
In Kano South, another Kwankwaso loyalist, Ibrahim Kassim Bataiya, was listed as the NDC candidate. He is expected to challenge the incumbent senator, Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, of the APC.
The absence of Gwarzo and his running mate from INEC’s final list could pose a significant challenge to the NDC’s governorship ambitions in Kano if the omission is not resolved through the applicable electoral procedures.
However, the published list alone does not establish the precise reason for their absence or conclusively explain their legal status in the race.
The next critical development will be an official clarification from INEC or the NDC leadership regarding the affected nominations and whether any further action is available under the electoral process.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the situation could have implications for the NDC’s political strategy in Kano, particularly given the importance of Kwankwaso’s political network in the state.
