A House of Representatives aspirant of the New Democratic Congress (NDC) in Nasarawa State, Zahradeen Ahmad Zangina, has alleged that the party removed his name from its list of candidates after he won the primary election for the Keffi/Karu/Kokona Federal Constituency because he is a Muslim.
Zangina made the allegation in a statement, claiming that he was initially informed by the Nasarawa State Chairman of the NDC, Dogo Shama, that he had won the party’s primary for the constituency.
“I wish to bring to the attention of Nigerians, members of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), civil society organizations, the media, and the international community what I consider a grave injustice and an alleged act of religious discrimination against my candidacy in the Keffi/Karu/Kokona Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State,” the statement read.
According to him, he was later surprised to discover that his name had been excluded from the final list of candidates submitted by the party.
“Following the conduct of our party’s primary election, I was officially informed by the Chairman of the NDC in Nasarawa State, Dogo Shama, that I had emerged as the winner of the primary election for the House of Representatives ticket in my constituency,” he said.
“However, a few days later, I was shocked to learn that my name had allegedly been removed from the list of candidates.”
Zangina alleged that the party’s North Central Vice Chairman, Barnabas Ijisi Dankunama, told him that the leadership did not want a Muslim candidate for the constituency, claiming that the party intended to field only Christian candidates for House of Representatives seats in Nasarawa State.
“According to my account, the decision was communicated to me by the North Central Vice Chairman of the party, Barnabas Ijisi Dankunama. I further allege that during our discussions, he indicated that the party leadership did not want a Muslim candidate for the constituency because it intended to field only Christian candidates for House of Representatives seats in Nasarawa State,” the statement added.
The aspirant condemned what he described as religious discrimination, arguing that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees equal rights and opportunities to citizens irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.
“I strongly reject any form of discrimination based on religion. Nigeria is a democratic nation whose Constitution guarantees equal rights and opportunities for every citizen regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background. Political parties should promote fairness, inclusion, and equal participation rather than religious exclusion,” he said.
Zangina also claimed to have a video recording of one of his conversations with Dankunama, which was conducted in Hausa and, according to him, supports his account of the incident.
“During my conversations with Mr. Barnabas Ijisi Dankunama, I was informed that my name would be removed despite my victory in the primary election. I have a video recording of one of our discussions, conducted in Hausa, which I believe supports my account of these events,” he stated.
He said he subsequently sought the intervention of the NDC National Chairman, Cleopas Moses, who allegedly told him that he could not reverse the decision and advised him to take the matter to the party leader.
Zangina further said he met with the party leader, Saraki Dickson, who, after hearing his complaint, advised him to pursue legal action.
The aspirant added that he later approached the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to present his case and seek intervention, but said the matter had yet to be resolved.
Zangina warned that allowing the alleged decision to remain could damage public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“I believe that if these actions are allowed to stand, they will undermine internal democracy and public confidence in the electoral process. Every aspirant deserves to be judged on merit and the outcome of a transparent primary election, not on religious identity,” he said.
He therefore appealed to the NDC leadership to review the matter and restore what he described as the mandate given to him by party members during the primary.
“I therefore call on the leadership of the New Democratic Congress to immediately review this matter and ensure that justice is done. I also appeal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organizations, religious leaders, and all Nigerians who believe in justice and equal opportunity to closely monitor this issue and encourage a fair resolution,” he added.
Zangina further claimed that he had the authentic list of candidates produced from the party’s primary election, which he said contained his name before it was allegedly altered.
