By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Niger state chapter has been engulfed in crisis as two gubernatorial hopeful lay claims to the party's candidature ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The internal dispute centred on the choice of candidate to fly the NDC flag in next year's is between Alhaji Yahaya Mohammad Guregi and Alhaji Idris Usman Makanta, while the party's leadership in the state have maintained sealed lips.
Investigations revealed that Yahaya Guregi was the lone candidate untill after the party primaries when supporters of Makanta who did not participate in the primaries started laying claims to the slot because according to them, "Google recognized Makanta as Niger state NDC governorship candidate".
The NDC crisis became an open secret last weekend when Yahaya Guregi visited Minna, the state capital for the first time and was received by few of the state executive members with the state Chairman, Alhaji Inuwa conspicuously absent.
The absence of Inuwa Baba Ahmed and a segment of the state leadership to welcome Guregi gave credence to the speculations that the party is fractionalized and the state chairman being accused of taking sides with Makanta who bought his nomination form, filled and submitted same after the expiration of the deadline.
While everything seemed normal with the NDC in the state at the surface level, findings showed that Guregi and Makanta who holds the traditional title, "Shinkafan Nupe", have set the party divided against itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Guregi supporters are pointing accusing fingers on the state party chairman as being behind desperate moves by Makanta to hijack the party from founding members after financial inducements.
Makanta and his supporters are insisting that he is the one to appear on the ballot boxes in 2027 because his names is recognized by Google as the state gubernatorial candidate of the party, but Guregi and his supporters now calling on the national leadership of the party to wade in and end the political storm.
Guregi and his supporters want the NDC national secretariat of the party to end the in-fighting caused by claims by Makanta and his being recognized by Google, weather it is the party or Google that decides who to be the party's flagbearer in next year's general elections.
When contacted for clarifications on the allegation, the NDC state Chairman, Alhaji Inuwa Baba Ahmed who initially refused to pick calls gave the name of Alhaji Idris Usman Makanta as the party's gubernatorial candidate. NNL.
