A leadership dispute has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Kano State following resistance to alleged moves to hand over the party’s structure to former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The state chairman, Usaini Isa Mai Riga, said talks aimed at integrating Kwankwaso into the party collapsed after two meetings failed to resolve disagreements over control of the state structure. He accused the former governor of demanding total control, a position he described as unacceptable to existing party members.
“He wants us to hand over the entire party to him, despite the sacrifices we made when the party had little or no presence,” Mai Riga said.
The chairman insisted that the current leadership would resist any attempt to displace them, stressing that lawful measures would be taken to retain control of the party. “This will not happen. We will pursue all lawful avenues to ensure that the party structure is not hijacked,” he added.
Mai Riga also alleged that the party’s national leadership directed the suspension of a planned state congress in Kano shortly after Kwankwaso’s entry into the party. According to him, the move was part of efforts to facilitate a takeover of the structure.
“We were instructed not to hold the congress because of plans to hand over the structure. That is why I am not at the venue today. We will not allow the rights of our members to be trampled upon,” he said.
The development marks the first public pushback from the Kano State leadership since Kwankwaso – leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement – joined the party less than 24 hours earlier.
Kwankwaso reportedly arrived in Kano on Monday and is expected to meet with political allies to discuss party structure and strategies ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, Mai Riga noted that the former governor had yet to formally engage with the state leadership.
Efforts to reach Kwankwaso or his aides for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
