The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has not officially chosen its candidate for the Kaduna State governorship election ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to the party’s state chairman, Mordecai Ibrahim.
Ibrahim made this known on Wednesday during a press conference in Kaduna, as the dispute over the party’s governorship ticket involving former Senator Danjuma La’ah and lawyer Mohammed Sani Abbas continued.
According to the state chairman, neither La’ah nor Abbas has been formally recognised as the party’s governorship candidate, with the matter still unresolved at both the state and national levels.
Ibrahim said the party would need to conduct a substitution primary after his withdrawal from the race.
He explained that he had previously been recognised as the NDC’s governorship candidate but voluntarily stepped down after submitting a formal withdrawal notice to the party’s national chairman and the Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner.
His withdrawal letter, dated August 7, was reportedly received by the national chairman’s office, while he also submitted an affidavit confirming his decision.
Ibrahim also displayed what he described as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) summary of candidates nominated by political parties for the 2027 election, which still listed him as the NDC’s governorship candidate.
He said, “The bitter truth is that both at the state and national levels, the decision as to who the governorship candidate of Kaduna State, whether Barrister Mohammed Sani Abbas or Senator Danjuma Tellah La’ah, has not been taken.”
The clarification comes amid conflicting claims from La’ah and Abbas over who should represent the party in the governorship contest.
A faction of the NDC had previously denied issuing a governorship ticket to La’ah. The party’s Deputy National Chairman, North, Alhaji Sidi Bomi, also reportedly rejected a document circulating on social media which purportedly indicated that La’ah had emerged as the party’s candidate.
Bomi said the document did not originate from the party and should therefore not be considered proof of La’ah’s nomination.
Meanwhile, Abbas has continued to insist that he is the legitimate NDC governorship candidate.
Ibrahim rejected that position, accusing Abbas of falsely claiming that he participated in and won a governorship primary.
“It is highly unfortunate for a member of the temple of justice to spew such lies that he participated in a primary election which he won, knowing same to be outright falsehood,” he said.
The chairman maintained that the disagreement could not be settled through competing claims or political propaganda, stressing that the party must follow the appropriate electoral procedures.
Ibrahim said the NDC now has little choice but to conduct a substitution primary if it is unable to reach a consensus on its candidate.
“By the provision of Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026, Nigeria Democratic Congress is now only left with the option of organising a substitution primary election for a validly recognised candidate to emerge since they have been unable to reach a consensus – thus anything short of this will be illegal.”
He also disclosed that two other aspirants, Zariyi Madaki and Ibrahim Abdulkarim, withdrew from the contest in support of La’ah during the first consensus meeting at the party’s national secretariat.
Ibrahim described La’ah as an experienced politician who served two terms in the Senate and was previously the only Peoples Democratic Party senator representing Kaduna State and the North-West.
However, he advised Abbas to focus on building stronger support at the grassroots, particularly within his ward and local government area.
“Every politician worth his onion will first make sure his ward and local government are on his side because charity must always begin at home,” he said.
The unresolved dispute is expected to keep attention on the NDC as the party works to determine who will ultimately fly its flag in the 2027 Kaduna State governorship election.
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