The New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) is grappling with an internal crisis after its presidential candidate, Suleiman Mohammed Dikwa, was conspicuously absent from the final list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, despite having appeared on the commission's earlier provisional register. The omission has sparked confusion among party loyalists and raised questions about the circumstances leading to his removal.
Provisional Inclusion, Final Omission
Dikwa had secured the party's unanimous nomination before the provisional list was released, making his absence from the final publication all the more striking. Grassroots members and party delegates are now demanding answers from the national leadership, but the party has responded by imposing a gag order on its officials.
According to a report by The Guardian, Mamman Damisa, Chairman of the NNPP State Chairmen's Forum, confirmed the situation. "Investigations are ongoing, and I have been directed to keep mute until this issue is resolved," he said. When pressed on whether the leadership had deliberately initiated Dikwa's withdrawal, Damisa added: "I cannot say yet, but I have been directed not to grant any interviews."
INEC's Procedural Constraints
A senior INEC official in Abuja shed light on the procedural constraints around candidate omissions. "INEC cannot remove the name of a candidate without an official request for replacement submitted by the party or an explicit order from a court of competent jurisdiction," the official said. The clarification has deepened suspicions of behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings within the party or possible legal disputes.
Dikwa himself could not be reached for comment, as his phone lines went unanswered and messages were not returned. The silence from both the candidate and the party leadership has only fueled speculation among supporters and political observers.
Dikwa's Reform Agenda
The omission comes as Dikwa's campaign had begun drawing attention with a reform-heavy agenda that took aim at the structure of the Nigerian federation. In a recent interview on KT 103.9 FM in Jos, he called for 55 per cent of federation revenue to be sent directly to Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas, arguing that over 80 million Nigerians depend on the rural economy and that local councils must have the resources to drive development from the ground up.
Dikwa also proposed scrapping Nigeria's bicameral National Assembly in favour of a leaner unicameral legislature, with the savings redirected to capital investment across regional economic blocs. On security, he argued that military operations alone cannot defeat banditry and insurgency while economic gaps in ungoverned areas remain unaddressed, and outlined plans to establish agro-ecological development corridors tied to the Land Degradation Neutrality framework as a way to replace illicit rural economies with legitimate ones.
Parallel Case in NDC
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that businessman Pratt Tunde filed a federal high court suit after allegedly discovering his NDC candidacy was secretly swapped on August 1, 2026. Pratt won the NDC primary for Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency on May 29, 2026, with INEC monitoring the election. The suit named INEC and the NDC as respondents and sought an urgent hearing to prevent ballot papers from being printed with the wrong candidate's name.
As NNPP supporters wait for an official statement from party headquarters, the circumstances surrounding Dikwa's removal from the ballot remain unresolved, leaving the party's 2027 presidential bid in a state of uncertainty.
