By Palang Paul
The League of Civil Society Organizations in Kano State has rejected the planned Open Government Partnership election, alleging systemic violations and manipulation.
The League made its position known in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, ahead of the Kano State OGP Non-State Actors’ election scheduled for Thursday, August 6.
The coalition accused the electoral process of violating key OGP governance principles, including transparency, independent civil society participation, inclusive self-governance and fair leadership selection.
It alleged that the process had been compromised by conflicts of interest, questionable candidate eligibility, lack of transparency in screening and the involvement of an outgoing OGP official in administering the election.
The League specifically raised concerns over the clearance of the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS) to contest for the position of Thematic Lead – Access to Information.
According to the coalition, YOSPIS was founded and is institutionally led by Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba, who it said currently holds appointments with the Kano State Government, including as Co-Chair of the Kano State Anti-Drug Abuse Task Force.
The League also alleged that Magashi chairs a committee established by the state government to develop the Kano 2027 Campaign Blueprint.
It argued that YOSPIS’ participation creates a potential conflict of interest and could undermine the independence of civil society representation within the OGP process.
The coalition further questioned the composition of the electoral committee, which it said is chaired by Abdulrazaq Alkali, the outgoing CSO Co-Chair of the OGP Steering Committee.
It argued that allowing an outgoing office holder to oversee the selection of his successor could create a perception of bias and weaken confidence in the credibility of the election.
The League also alleged that two outgoing members of the OGP CSO Steering Committee, Haruna Ayagi and Abdulrahman Abdu, who it said had already served two consecutive terms, were cleared to contest again.
According to the coalition, such participation undermines democratic rotation, leadership renewal and safeguards against institutional capture.
The League further questioned the eligibility of several organizations cleared to participate, citing what it described as discrepancies in their Corporate Affairs Commission registration status.
It claimed that Human Right Network and Network for Empowerment and Development Initiative did not appear in its independent searches of the CAC database.
The coalition also alleged that Advocacy for Human Right and Equal Opportunity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative, Youth Empowerment and Human Rights Development Initiative and Community Development Initiative had inactive status over alleged failure to file statutory annual returns.
It added that Kano Young Women Development Initiative could not be located through publicly available CAC records.
The League said the alleged discrepancies raised questions about the transparency and effectiveness of the screening process.
It also accused the electoral committee of failing to publicly disclose the criteria used to screen candidates and organizations, including whether tax compliance and applicable anti-money laundering requirements were verified.
The coalition said the absence of publicly verifiable information on such requirements had further weakened confidence in the process.
The League warned that the alleged irregularities could damage public confidence in Kano State’s transparency and accountability agenda and affect the credibility of the OGP process.
It also urged the National OGP Secretariat to examine the allegations, warning that unresolved concerns could raise questions about the consistency of governance standards across sub-national OGP platforms.
The coalition further expressed concern that perceived weaknesses in governance and organizational compliance could affect the confidence of international development partners supporting transparency, accountability and citizen participation initiatives.
League Demands Suspension, Fresh Screening
The League called for the immediate suspension of Thursday’s election pending an independent and transparent review of the allegations.
It also demanded a review of organizations allegedly affected by conflicts of interest and the disqualification of any entity found to violate applicable eligibility requirements.
The coalition called for the dissolution and reconstitution of the current electoral committee with an independent, neutral and broadly representative body.
It further demanded fresh screening of all candidates and participating organizations, including verification of active CAC registration, statutory compliance, applicable Tax Clearance Certificates and SCUML requirements.
The League said the screening criteria and reasons for approving or rejecting candidates should also be made public.
It urged the Kano State Government, the state Attorney-General, the National OGP Secretariat and other relevant stakeholders to institute an independent review of the electoral process.
The coalition warned that if the election proceeds without addressing the concerns raised, it may pursue formal petitions to the National OGP Secretariat, OGP Global Support Unit, Independent Reporting Mechanism and other relevant institutions.
Until the allegations are independently investigated and addressed, the League said it would dissociate itself from the election and any outcome arising from it.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to protecting civic space, strengthening accountability and promoting an OGP process based on transparency, participation, institutional independence and credible civil society representation.
The statement was endorsed by representatives of 22 civil society organizations in Kano State, including Wuro Development Concerns, Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement, Campaign for Democracy, Joint Action Front, United Action for Democracy and Public Interest Litigation Group.
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