Full List: Governor Yusuf to face 16 challengers as exclusion of main rival stuns Kano

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, and 16 others are on the final list of governorship candidates in Kano released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday.

However, the talking point in the state is the omission of the name of one of the most popular challengers, Aminu Abdulsalam of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), on the list.

His exclusion has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape, and left the NDC scrambling for legal and administrative remedies to salvage its position in the crucial gubernatorial contest.

While the Commission did not give reasons for Mr Abdulsalam’s disqualification, sources suggest it may be connected to administrative compliance issues or pre-election legal challenges.

Party stalwarts and NDC supporters across Kano have expressed dismay at the development.

Mr Abdulsalam, who is reportedly on a trip to Saudi Arabia, has yet to react to the development.

But Nasara Radio in the state quoted the Kwankwasiyya movement as stating that his omission was an error that INEC was making efforts to rectify.

According to the radio station, an NDC chieftain, Yusuf Kofarmata, said Mr Abdulsalam registered as a party member on time and that his name is in the membership register submitted to INEC.

He added that the party uploaded the candidate’s name to the commission’s portal, noting that INEC confirmed to them that his exclusion was a mistake.

Mr Kofarmata urged Kwankwasiyya members and NDC supporters to continue their election campaigns while praying for victory.

The full list of cleared candidates and their respective political parties

1. Gashash Mukhtar — Accord (A)

2. Haruna Abdullahi — Action Alliance (AA)

3. Sharif Abba — African Action Congress (AAC)

4. Ibrahim Al’amin— African Democratic Congress (ADC)

5. Muhammad Abdullahi— Action Democratic Party (ADP)

6. Yusuf Abba Kabir — All Progressives Congress (APC)

7. Tijjani Sukairaju — All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)

8. Muhammad Bashir Galadanchi — Allied Peoples Movement (APM)

9. Tukur Aliyu — Accord Party (APP)

10. Ahmad Furera — Boot Party (BP)

11. Bari Mustapha Bello — Democratic Liberation Alliance (DLA)