Ahead of the local government election scheduled to hold in October, protests and mass defection has hit the New Nigeria People’s Party NNPP in Kano state, over choice of candidates, which further weakens the party.
Sources closed to the party indicate that there is disquiet in the ruling party led by a former governor of Kano state, Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso is believed to have singlehandedly picked the candidates without any form of consultation with party stakeholders.
Findings revealed that there was no primary election or consensus between the aspirants from the 44 local governments areas of the state.
“In all the local governments, no stakeholder including elected representatives, were consulted or notified on the choice of the candidates who are currently undergoing drug test ordered by the state Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC),” our source further revealed.
The state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf who was said to have travelled to London out of frustration from the ‘selection of candidates’ because, as stakeholder, he was not given the chance to nominate a candidate from his local government of origin, Gwale. So also his deputy and commissioner for local government, Aminu Abdussalam was sidelined in the exercise.
NNPP Senators representing Kano Central and Kano South, Rufai Sani Hanga and Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila respectively, as well as members of the House of Representatives were not in the picture of how candidates from their constituencies and respective local governments emerged.
The development, according to our findings, had expectedly stoked internal crisis, which compelled some party leaders to protest and consider quitting the party.
While other have gone to the media to lend their voice on the decision, many others are groaning in silence are said to have already made up their mind to leave the party and join either the All Progressives Congress or the main opposition People’s Democratic Party.
