SIMILAR ELECTORAL CHALLENGES, DIFFERENT POLITICAL NARRATIVES: THE 2019 EXPERIENCE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY'S ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNOR YUSUF

ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC)

KANO STATE PRESIDENTIAL / GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN OFFICE, 2027

SIMILAR ELECTORAL CHALLENGES, DIFFERENT POLITICAL NARRATIVES: THE 2019 EXPERIENCE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT TODAY’S ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNOR YUSUF

2nd November, 2026

The attention of the Kano State APC Presidential / Gubernatorial Campaign Office has been drawn to recent statements by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso accusing His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, of interfering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to frustrate the recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate for the 2027 elections. Senator Kwankwaso also claimed that the Governor regrets his decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). We consider these allegations serious and deserving of a response grounded in facts rather than political assumptions.

Interestingly, Senator Kwankwaso reportedly acknowledged in the same remarks that he and Governor Yusuf experienced a similar challenge in 2019, when the Governor was their governorship candidate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The historical record confirms that Yusuf’s candidature faced a Federal High Court ruling on 4 March 2019 and was protected by a Court of Appeal stay of execution granted on 8 March, barely one day before the governorship election. If such a legal difficulty arose when Senator Kwankwaso and Governor Yusuf belonged to the same political camp, why should a similar difficulty today automatically be blamed on Governor Yusuf simply because their political affiliations have changed?

More importantly, the current nomination and clearance controversies are not peculiar to the NDC in Kano State. INEC has officially disclosed receiving 69 governorship petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states, approving 41 and rejecting 28. The disputes have affected candidates of different political parties in other states, including Ogun and Gombe. Are all these difficulties across the federation also the handiwork of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf? This nationwide record demonstrates why the Kano controversy must be examined on its particular legal and administrative merits rather than reduced to an allegation of personal political interference.

It is equally significant that INEC’s updated governorship list of 31 October 2026 records a court-order restriction affecting the NDC ticket in Kano. Senator Kwankwaso is therefore expected to explain what verifiable evidence connects Governor Yusuf to that restriction. An allegation against an elected Governor cannot be established merely by referring to political disagreement, alleged activities in Abuja or an unresolved electoral dispute. The proper avenue for challenging the restriction remains the relevant legal and electoral processes.

On the allegation that Governor Yusuf regrets joining the APC, we wish to emphasise that the Governor’s decision was publicly announced and explained in terms of political cooperation, stability and the developmental interests of Kano State. Senator Kwankwaso is entitled to disagree with that decision, but such disagreement does not establish the Governor’s personal feelings or intentions. Those who make claims about another public official’s private political convictions bear the responsibility of substantiating them.

The Kano State APC Presidential / Gubernatorial Campaign Office maintains that political competition must be conducted with maturity and respect for democratic institutions. Every political party has the right to field qualified candidates in accordance with the law, just as every aggrieved candidate has the right to seek judicial redress. We support the independence of INEC, respect for lawful court orders and the transparent resolution of all outstanding nomination disputes, irrespective of the political parties concerned.

We therefore call on Senator Kwankwaso to provide verifiable evidence supporting his allegations against Governor Yusuf. The experience of 2019 and the nationwide nature of the present nomination disputes make one principle especially important: political differences must never be substituted for proof of wrongdoing.

SIGNED

CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON II

KANO STATE PRESIDENTIAL / GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN OFFICE, 2027