Court order reveals those behind exclusion of Kano NDC gov’ship candidate Gwarzo from INEC list, reasons
Published 7 seconds ago
on 5 November 2026
By Ahmed Ibrahim
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from publishing the names of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate and running mate for the 2027 election in the state, pending the hearing of a substantive application challenging the party’s nomination process.
PLATINUMPOST reports that the development was confirmed by certified true copies of court documents in Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/440/2026, filed by three aggrieved NDC members, Garba Umar Isa, Yau Nasiru and Atiku Jamilu Abubakar, against INEC and the party.
The applicants approached the court through an ex parte motion filed on October 17, 2026, challenging the emergence of Aminu Gwarzo as the party’s governorship candidate and Mustapha Kwankwaso, son of Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate.
Their grievance centred on allegations that Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and NDC vice-presidential candidate, unilaterally influenced the selection of the two candidates.
Delivering his ruling on October 27, 2026, Justice Simon Amobeda ordered INEC and its agents to refrain from publishing the names of any governorship candidates submitted by the NDC for the 2027 Kano governorship election pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The judge also restrained the electoral commission from tampering with, altering, adding to or removing names from its final governorship candidates’ list published on or around October 10, 2026.
The court further directed that the order and accompanying processes be served on the defendants before the next adjourned date.
According to the court documents, Justice Amobeda ordered an accelerated hearing of the matter and initially fixed November 2, 2026, for further proceedings.
However, the case could not proceed as scheduled on Monday after counsel representing Gwarzo approached the court with an application seeking to join him as a party to the suit.
Following the development, the court adjourned the matter until November 16, 2026.
The interim order provides a legal explanation for INEC’s decision to withhold Gwarzo’s name from its updated list of governorship candidates, following concerns raised over the omission.
The commission had indicated “Court Order” against the NDC’s governorship and deputy governorship positions in Kano State.
The dispute over the party’s ticket remains unresolved, with the court yet to determine the substantive issues surrounding the nomination process.
The next hearing is expected to address the pending applications as the parties continue their legal battle over the NDC’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
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