PLATEAU NDC TICKET DISPUTE DEEPENS AS JANG REJECTS KWANKWASO’S PROPOSAL

A fresh disagreement has emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress over its governorship ticket in Plateau State, with former governor Jonah Jang and the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, reportedly taking different positions on who should fly the party’s flag in the 2027 election.

The dispute comes just a day before the Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to publish the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates for the election. The disagreement has consequently raised concerns that the NDC could end up without a governorship candidate in Plateau State.

The controversy began after the party submitted the name of its Plateau State chairman, Yakubu Ndam, as a placeholder following the purported suspension of Da Jonathan Sunday Akuns, who had emerged as the party’s candidate after winning its direct primary election unopposed.

Ndam explained that his name was submitted temporarily to allow party stakeholders reach an agreement on a consensus candidate. He, however, maintained that he did not recognise the suggestion that the governorship ticket was being contested.

Efforts to replace the placeholder reportedly intensified among some party leaders, including the North-Central National Vice Chairman, Barnabas Ejisi, who sought the support of influential political figures in the state.

According to reports, some NDC stakeholders approached Kwankwaso in an attempt to strengthen their position against Akuns. The proposal reportedly involved replacing the placeholder with Garba Sunday Biggs, a governorship aspirant associated with the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Jang, however, is said to have rejected the proposal when Kwankwaso visited him at his Abuja residence recently to celebrate his 80th birthday.

The disagreement has reportedly been linked to past political differences between the two former governors. A source close to Jang claimed that the former Plateau governor remembered Kwankwaso’s failure to support him during the election for chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

That contest, held during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saw Rotimi Amaechi defeat Jang by 18 votes to 15 and subsequently contributed to divisions within the governors’ forum.

The latest dispute has also brought the issue of zoning into sharper focus. Akuns is from Plateau Central Senatorial District, while attempts to substitute him with another candidate have reportedly encountered resistance because of the prevailing zoning expectations in the state.

The party is now faced with a race against time to resolve the disagreement before INEC publishes its final list of governorship candidates.

The Plateau crisis is reportedly among the disputes being examined by the NDC’s Northern Zonal Reconciliation Sub-Committee, which was established to address disagreements surrounding the party’s primaries and state-level structures.

The outcome of the reconciliation process could determine whether Akuns retains his position, whether another candidate is selected or whether the party fails to field a governorship candidate in the state.

For the NDC, the stakes are particularly high because the absence of a candidate could potentially make the 2027 governorship contest easier for the incumbent Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the All Progressives Congress.

With the deadline for candidate publication approaching, attention is now focused on whether the party will resolve its internal differences and submit a recognised candidate for Plateau State or allow the dispute to jeopardise its participation in the governorship election.