Trending 
Three major opposition parties are absent from the ballot in Saturday’s by-election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano State.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and a coalition involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The off-season poll is being held to fill vacant seats in the Kano State House of Assembly representing Municipal and Ungogo constituencies following the deaths of the former lawmakers last year.
INEC has said it is prepared to conduct a free, fair, and credible election. At a recent briefing, Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner Abdul Zango said all political parties were given equal opportunity to nominate candidates.
“All political parties were given equal opportunity to nominate candidates. The commission is fully prepared to conduct a transparent and credible election,” Zango had said.
However, the commission’s final list shows only nine parties cleared to contest: Accord (A), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Action Peoples Party (APP), African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
INEC has not publicly explained the exclusion of the PDP, NNPP, and ADC.
The affected parties have accused the commission of denying them the opportunity to participate. The NNPP, which has three factions in Kano, reportedly submitted six different candidates for the two constituencies.
Senator Mushud El-Jibril Doguwa, speaking for the Boniface-led faction of the NNPP, alleged that INEC unjustly disqualified the party’s candidates and said legal action was being considered.
“We duly submitted our candidates for the Municipal and Ungogo constituencies, but INEC refused to recognise our party for reasons best known to them,” Doguwa said.
He added, “This is a clear attempt to sideline us from the democratic process. We will not accept it. We are already consulting our lawyers and will institute legal action against INEC.”
Kano PDP Chairman Yusuf Kibiya also accused INEC of violating provisions of the Electoral Act, saying the party was given only four days to conduct primaries and submit candidates, and described the situation as “deeply troubling for democracy.”
Kibiya added that the party would review its options.
“We were ready and willing to participate in this by-election,” Kibiya said.
“However, INEC only gave us four days to conduct our primaries and submit the names of candidates. That is not sufficient time, and it undermines the spirit of the law.”
