By Ghazali Ibrahim
A leadership dispute is brewing within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State, as the party’s chairman, Usaini Isa Mai Riga, has pushed back against what he described as attempts by former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to take control of the party’s structure.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Mai Riga said negotiations aimed at accommodating Kwankwaso into the party had collapsed after two meetings failed to resolve disagreements over leadership arrangements.
According to him, the former governor demanded full control of the party structure in the state, an outcome he said the current leadership would not accept.
“He wants us to hand over the entire party to him, despite the sacrifices and time we invested in building it when it had little or no attention,” Mai Riga said.
The chairman insisted that the state leadership would resist any such move, adding that all lawful measures would be explored to prevent a takeover.
“This will not happen. We will pursue all legitimate avenues to ensure that Kwankwaso does not take over the party structure from us,” he stated.
Mai Riga also disclosed that the party’s national leadership directed the suspension of the planned state congress, citing developments surrounding Kwankwaso’s entry into the party.
He noted that while congresses were held in other states, Kano’s was put on hold under controversial circumstances.
“We were asked not to hold our congress because there are plans to hand over the party to Kwankwaso. That is why I am here instead of at the congress venue,” he said.
“We will not allow the rights of party members to be undermined. We will do everything possible because we do not support injustice.”
The remarks mark Mai Riga’s first public response since Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, formally joined the NDC over the weekend.
Kwankwaso returned to Kano on Monday and is expected to hold consultations with his political allies on party leadership and future electoral strategies.
However, Mai Riga maintained that the former governor has yet to formally engage with the state executive of the party, further deepening uncertainty over the party’s leadership structure in Kano.
