Kaduna NDC rejects alleged candidate imposition, seeks fresh governorship primary

The Kaduna State chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged the party’s national leadership to conduct a governorship primary election to produce its candidate for the 2027 election, insisting the process must be through a valid consensus or direct primary.

In a statement issued on Friday, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Tanko Marafa Tsoriang, alleged that members in Kaduna were being denied their constitutional right to elect the party’s governorship candidate.

“The Kaduna State NDC members are about to be brazenly denied their statutory (constitutional) right of electing their flag bearer. We shall vehemently oppose this undemocratic move,” he said.

Tsoriang argued that the meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, May 21, amounted to the imposition of a candidate rather than a reconciliation process or a valid consensus or direct primary election.

He described the development as “grossly undemocratic” and a violation of the provisions of Section 87 (1–3) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The state chapter maintained that the Electoral Act grants party members in Kaduna the right to democratically elect their governorship candidate and called on the national leadership to ensure the process complies with the law.

According to the statement, Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026 empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the period for the nomination of a governorship candidate where a political party fails to produce a validly nominated candidate on the scheduled primary election day.

Tsoriang urged the party’s leadership to invoke the provision by notifying INEC and conducting a fresh primary election or consensus process under the commission’s supervision.

He warned that submitting the name of any governorship candidate who did not emerge through a valid consensus or direct primary monitored by INEC could jeopardise the party’s ability to field a candidate in Kaduna State for the 2027 governorship election.

“We advise our amiable national leadership to take advantage of the provisions of Section 36 of the Electoral Act 2026 by writing to INEC to monitor a primary election or consensus process that will produce a validly nominated and widely accepted governorship candidate. Anything short of this shall not augur well for the Kaduna State chapter of the NDC,” the statement added.