The crisis rocking the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has intensified as factions within the opposition party divide over the choice of candidates to represent it in the upcoming bye-election in Kano State.

The division took on a new dimension following the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) schedule of activities for the February 21, 2026, bye-election in the state.

The off-season poll to fill the vacant seats in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State constituencies was necessitated by the deaths of two state legislators, Sarki Aliyu Daneji and Aminu Sa’adu, who passed away on the same day in December 2025.

Briefing journalists on the timeline of the poll, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Abdu Zango, said embargo on political campaigns would be lifted on 8 and suspended on February 19, 2026.

The INEC boss revealed that the total registered voters in the two constituencies stood at 535,646, while 512,135 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected by eligible voters.

According to Ambassador Zango, preparations have reached top gear for a smooth, credible, and fair poll, adding that the commission remains committed to correcting previous anomalies and other impediments that could compromise the process.

He also confirmed that 10 political parties had so far expressed interest in participating in the state assembly bye-election, including those that had already submitted their candidate lists.

However, he was not specific about the conflicting interests within the NNPP ranks, where different candidates have emerged and issues of non-submission persist.

The factional leaders include the Dr. Boniface Aniebonam-led faction under Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa as state chairman; the Abdullahi Abiya-led faction anointed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration before defection to the APC; and the caretaker leadership recognised by factional national leader, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

While the Boniface-led faction submitted a list of candidates, Halilu Mohammed for Kano Municipal and Mufta’u Zakariyya for Ungogo, the group insisted its nominees were legitimate.

In a letter signed by Doguwa, the factional chairman in Kano backed by Boniface, the group referred INEC to three court judgments which, it claimed, ruled in favour of Boniface and Chief Major Agbo as national chairman, insisting their list should be accepted.

“We would like to refer you to the continuous use of our original logo (basket full of fruits) as the symbol of NNPP, against the use of the book, pen, and cap, which are symbols of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

“Based on the above and our resolve to participate in the bye-election as a legitimate political party registered since 2002, we hereby forward our candidates as required by the Electoral Act,” Doguwa said.

On the contrary, the Kwankwasiyya faction of the NNPP opposed the position of the Boniface-led faction, insisting that the party has no duly elected executive leadership in Kano following the dissolution of Hon. Hashimu Dungurawa’s leadership.

Responding to inquiries, the National Publicity Secretary of NNPP, Barr. Ladipo Johnson, added that NNPP has no factional leadership in Kano and dismissed the list of candidates purportedly forwarded by the Boniface group to INEC.

Barr. Johnson, however, revealed that NNPP may not necessarily field fresh candidates for the bye-election, considering an earlier arrangement to support the children of the late lawmakers, who have since joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was reliably gathered that Hon. Nabil Sarki Aliyu, son of the late lawmaker from Kano Municipal, and Sa’ad Aminu Sa’ad, son of the late lawmaker from Ungogo, were submitted under the APC platform. Although Abdullahi Abiya, the NNPP factional chairman, has remained silent, many believe he may also pitch his tent behind the APC candidates.

Meanwhile, INEC is expected to declare the rightful NNPP candidates and decide whether to accept the list submitted by the Doguwa faction.