The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has yet to officially choose its governorship candidate for Kaduna State ahead of the 2027 election, despite competing claims over the party’s ticket.
NDC Kaduna State Chairman, Mordecai Ibrahim, made the clarification during a press conference in Kaduna on Wednesday, saying neither former Senator Danjuma La’ah nor lawyer Mohammed Sani Abbas had been formally recognised as the party’s candidate.
According to Ibrahim, the disagreement remains unresolved at both the state and national levels.
Party Faces Fresh Primary
Ibrahim said the party may have to conduct a substitution primary to produce a recognised candidate after his own withdrawal from the race.
He explained that he was previously listed as the party’s governorship candidate but voluntarily stepped aside after notifying the NDC national chairman and the Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner.
Ibrahim said his withdrawal letter, dated August 7, was received by the national chairman, alongside an affidavit supporting his decision.
He also presented what he described as an Independent National Electoral Commission summary of candidates for the 2027 elections, which still listed him as the NDC’s governorship candidate.
La’ah And Abbas Make Rival Claims
The clarification comes amid a growing dispute between La’ah and Abbas over who should fly the NDC flag in Kaduna.
Ibrahim insisted that neither politician had been formally confirmed.
“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,” he said.
A faction of the party had previously rejected claims that La’ah had been awarded the ticket.
NDC Deputy National Chairman, North, Sidi Bomi, also reportedly dismissed a document circulating online which purported to show La’ah as the party’s candidate, saying it did not originate from the NDC.
Abbas Insists He Won Primary
Abbas has maintained that he is the legitimate NDC governorship candidate.
Ibrahim, however, rejected the claim and accused the lawyer of falsely claiming that he participated in and won a governorship primary.
The Kaduna chairman argued that the party could not settle the dispute through competing declarations, insisting that proper electoral procedures must be followed.
Substitution Primary Proposed
Ibrahim said the NDC would need to organise another primary to produce a validly recognised candidate, citing Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026.
He said anything short of the required process could be considered illegal.
The chairman also disclosed that aspirants Zariyi Madaki and Ibrahim Abdulkarim had withdrawn from the race in support of La’ah during an earlier consensus meeting at the party’s national secretariat.
Dispute Could Shape NDC’s 2027 Campaign
Ibrahim described La’ah as an experienced politician who served two terms in the Senate and previously represented Kaduna and the North-West in the upper chamber.
However, he advised Abbas to focus on building stronger support at the grassroots, particularly within his ward and local government area.
With the 2027 election approaching, the NDC now faces the task of resolving the internal dispute and producing a candidate whose nomination is recognised by both the party and electoral authorities.
Until that happens, the NDC’s Kaduna governorship ticket remains officially unsettled.
