The governorship ticket of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kaduna State has been thrown into fresh uncertainty, with the party’s state chairman, Evangelist Mordecai Ibrahim, declaring that no candidate has yet been validly recognised for the 2027 election.
Ibrahim made the clarification on Wednesday at a press conference in Kaduna, amid competing claims by former Senator Danjuma Tellah La’ah and lawyer Mohammed Sani Abbas.
He said the controversy over the party’s ticket remained unresolved at both the state and national levels.
“The bitter truth is that both at the state and national levels, the decision as to who is the governorship candidate of Kaduna State, whether Barrister Mohammed Sani Abbas or Senator Danjuma Tellah La’ah, has not been taken,” Ibrahim said.
The chairman explained that he had previously been the party’s recognised governorship candidate but voluntarily withdrew from the race.
According to him, he formally communicated his withdrawal to the NDC National Chairman and the Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner in compliance with Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Ibrahim said his withdrawal letter, dated August 7, was received by the national chairman, alongside an affidavit supporting his decision.
He also displayed what he described as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) summary of candidates nominated by political parties for the 2027 general election, which still listed him as the NDC governorship candidate.
The development has consequently created a fresh contest over who should take over the party’s ticket, with La’ah and Abbas making separate claims to the nomination.
Ibrahim maintained that the party cannot simply resolve the matter through competing declarations, saying the appropriate internal electoral procedure must be followed.
“By the provision of Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026, Nigeria Democratic Congress is now only left with the option of organising a substitution primary election for a validly recognised candidate to emerge since they have been unable to reach a consensus; thus anything short of this will be illegal,” he said.
The chairman also rejected Abbas’ claim that he participated in and won a governorship primary, describing the assertion as false.
“It is highly unfortunate for a member of the temple of justice to spew such lies that he participated in a primary election which he won, knowing same to be outright falsehood. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this dishonest claim,” Ibrahim said.
Abbas, however, has continued to maintain that he remains the legitimate governorship candidate of the party.
Ibrahim further disclosed that two other aspirants, Zariyi Madaki and Ibrahim Abdulkarim, withdrew from the contest in favour of La’ah during the first consensus meeting held at the party’s national secretariat.
He described La’ah as an experienced politician who served two terms as a senator and was, at one point, the only PDP senator representing Kaduna State and the North-West.
The chairman also advised Abbas to focus on building a strong political structure at the grassroots.
“Every politician worth his onion will first make sure his ward and local government are on his side because charity must always begin at home,” he said.
The latest development has further complicated preparations within the NDC ahead of the 2027 Kaduna governorship election, with the party now facing pressure to resolve the dispute through a recognised internal electoral process.
The Kaduna State Working Committee endorsed Ibrahim’s position, with several party officials, including senatorial, local government, legal, organising, women and welfare officers, signing the statement.
The controversy comes as the NDC intensifies efforts to position itself for the 2027 elections, but the unresolved Kaduna governorship ticket threatens to become a major test of the party’s internal cohesion.
Kaduna NDC in deep crisis over competing claims to governorship ticket