Peter Obi’s Ally Drags NDC and Kwankwaso to Court Over Kano Primary Election
Fresh legal trouble has hit the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after one of the party’s members in Kano State filed a lawsuit challenging the outcome of its primary elections conducted ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit was filed by Shuaibu Abubakar, an ally of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, alongside four other aggrieved aspirants, at the Federal High Court in Kano.
Abubakar, who contested the 2023 House of Representatives election for the Fagge Federal Constituency under the Labour Party, is asking the court to invalidate the nomination of Aminu Suleiman as the NDC candidate for the constituency.
The legal action also names the party and its Kano State leadership, led by Rabiu Kwankwaso, who currently serves as Peter Obi’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiffs, which include Mukhtar Muhammad, Mustapha Fanandas, Musa Yusuf and Mahfuz Yahuza, are challenging the legality of the party primaries conducted on May 28, alleging that the exercise violated the Electoral Act 2026, the NDC constitution and the party’s internal guidelines.
According to the court documents, the aspirants claimed they were unfairly excluded from participating in the primaries after allegedly being denied access to the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
They argued that the responsibility for selling and distributing the nomination forms was unlawfully handed over to a single individual, who allegedly determined which aspirants were allowed to contest.
The plaintiffs maintained that such an arrangement denied qualified members equal opportunities and compromised the credibility of the entire primary election process.
They further alleged that the primaries lacked the basic requirements expected under the law, including proper accreditation of delegates, voting procedures, counting of ballots and official collation of results.
According to the suit, the alleged irregularities affected the governorship, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly primaries in several constituencies, including Fagge, Tarauni and Gwale.
The aggrieved aspirants argued that the party failed to uphold its constitutional obligations by denying them a level playing field and excluding them from participating despite meeting the necessary requirements.
Among the reliefs sought before the court is an order nullifying all primary elections conducted by the NDC in Kano State on May 28.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to set aside the certificate issued to Aminu Suleiman as the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Fagge Federal Constituency and restrain him from presenting himself as the party’s flagbearer.
In addition, they are seeking an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or accepting the names of candidates produced through the disputed primary elections.
The suit also requests that the court compel the NDC to organise fresh primary elections in compliance with the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
Furthermore, the lead plaintiff is demanding a refund of the N2 million paid for his nomination form as well as N200 million in general and exemplary damages for what he described as unlawful exclusion and breach of contract.
The case is expected to test the legality of the party’s primary election process as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue across the country.
