By Oriontimes News Desk
Aggrieved members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kaduna State have renewed their demand for the restoration of what they describe as the legitimate mandate of Rakiya Baba Mohammed in the party’s disputed primary election for the Kawo Constituency seat in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
In a fresh open letter dated September 20, 2026 and addressed to the national leadership of the NDC, the group accused the party of failing to resolve the controversy surrounding the May 29, 2026 primary and warned that continued silence could further deepen the dispute.
The letter read;
OPEN LETTER
To the National Leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Subject: Urgent Call for Immediate Restoration of the Stolen Mandate of Rakiya Baba Mohammed- Delay Will Turn This Injustice into a Full-Blown Political Scandal.
National Chairman,
National Secretary,
Members of the National Working Committee,
And all concerned stakeholders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,
This is a follow-up open letter. We write again because the earlier demand for the restoration of the legitimate mandate of Rakiya Baba Mohammed remains unanswered. Silence and continued delay are no longer acceptable.
Rakiya Baba Mohammed emerged clear winner of the NDC primary election for Kawo Constituency, Kaduna State House of Assembly, held on 29 May 2026. She secured 225 votes against Yunusa Mohammed Salisu’s 132 votes. The results were compiled, endorsed by the Returning Officer, an INEC official, and security representatives present. The will of the delegates was unambiguous.
Yet reports indicate that party officials later sought to alter or disregard those results and hand the nomination form to the defeated aspirant, the son of Yunusa Tanko, Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide.
Stakeholders who travelled to Abuja were allegedly informed that the results had been changed and that the Kaduna State Chairman had been instructed to transfer the form.
This is not internal party administration. This is the theft of a mandate won at the grassroots. It is favouritism dressed as process. It is the very practice the NDC claims to reject.
We warned in our earlier letter that justice delayed is justice denied. That warning still stands. Every additional day without clear, public restoration of Rakiya Baba Mohammed’s rightful ticket deepens the injury and multiplies the political cost.
The consequences of continued inaction are now plain: It will become a full-blown political scandal that damages the NDC’s credibility as a party of fairness and internal democracy.
It will confirm the charge that powerful external interests and personal connections override the votes of ordinary party members.
It will alienate women, youth, and grassroots supporters who expect the party to protect those who win fairly.
It will hand opponents a ready-made narrative of hypocrisy that will follow the party into the 2027 elections.
NDC cannot preach party supremacy, loyalty, and respect for the people’s will while allowing a primary victory to be overturned by backdoor manoeuvres. Restoring the mandate is not a favour. It is the minimum requirement of integrity.
We therefore demand, once more and with greater urgency:
1) Immediate and public recognition of Rakiya Baba Mohammed as the duly elected NDC candidate for Kawo Constituency.
2) Immediate release and forwarding of her nomination forms to the relevant authorities without further interference.
3) A clear statement from the National Leadership rejecting any attempt to substitute or alter the primary results.
An end to all actions that undermine the outcome of the 29 May 2026 primary.
4) Time is short. The window for quiet, internal correction is closing. If the National Leadership fails to act swiftly, this matter will escalate beyond private correspondence and party channels. It will become a public scandal that the NDC will find difficult to contain or explain.
The party still has the opportunity to do the right thing.
Restore the mandate. Honour the votes. Protect the integrity of the process. Do it now before delay turns a correctable injustice into a permanent stain.
Yours in the struggle for internal democracy and justice,
We await your immediate action.
Signed,
Comrade. Silas Matthew Jonathan.
Garba sani ‐ kawo ward
Abdullahi jumaare - hanyin banki ward
Comrade mukhtar shehu - kawo ward
Abdulmalik Hassan - ungwan dosa ward
Comrade M. Bello - ungwan shanu/abakwa ward
Hauwa Mohammed - badarawa/malali ward.
On behalf of
aggrieved members of the NDC, Kaduna State, In defence of democracy, internal party justice, and the legitimate mandate of Rakiya Baba Mohammed.
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