A coalition of civil society organisations in Kano State has rejected the outcome of the recently concluded Open Government Partnership (OGP) election for non-state actors, alleging widespread violations of the initiative’s governance principles and electoral guidelines.
The group, operating under the League of Civil Society Organizations in Kano State, announced its position in a statement issued on 5 August, a day before the election, in which it dissociated itself from the exercise and urged the National OGP Secretariat and development partners not to recognise its outcome.
The election, held on Thursday in Kano, produced new civil society representatives for the Kano State OGP Steering Committee and Thematic Working Groups.
However, the League described the process as fundamentally flawed.
“What has been presented as an election is, in our view, a heavily compromised process designed to capture civil society space, transform independent watchdogs into state appendages, and undermine the foundational principles of transparency, accountability, equity, and multi-stakeholder collaboration upon which the OGP framework is built,” the statement said.
The coalition alleged that the election violated the OGP Articles of Governance, Participation and Co-Creation Standards, as well as the national operational guidelines governing the partnership.
Among the concerns raised by the coalition was what it described as a conflict of interest involving the Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), which was cleared to contest the position of Thematic Lead for Access to Information.
The League argued that the organisation’s founder, Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, currently holds appointments in the Kano State Government, including serving as Co-Chair of the state’s Anti-Drug Abuse Task Force and Chairman of the committee developing the Kano 2027 Campaign Blueprint.
According to the coalition, allowing the organisation to contest amounted to “proxy state capture” of the civil society space.
The group also questioned the neutrality of the electoral committee, noting that it was chaired by Abdulrazaq Alkali, the outgoing Civil Society Co-Chair of the Kano State OGP Steering Committee.
It argued that outgoing officeholders should not supervise elections for their successors because such an arrangement could undermine confidence in the process.
The League further alleged that two outgoing members of the Steering Committee, Haruna Ayagi and Abdulrahman Abdu, who had already served two consecutive terms, were cleared to seek another term, contrary to democratic rotation principles.
It also questioned the legal status of several participating organisations, claiming that independent checks of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) database suggested that some groups were either not registered or had inactive status due to their failure to file statutory returns.
The coalition also criticised the screening process, alleging that the electoral committee did not publish the eligibility criteria or disclose whether organisations were verified for tax compliance and compliance with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) requirements.
The coalition called for the immediate suspension of the election pending an independent review.
“We call for the immediate suspension of the Kano State OGP Non-State Actors’ election pending a comprehensive and independent review of the concerns raised in this statement,” it said.
It also demanded the reconstitution of the electoral committee, the transparent re-screening of all candidates, and the disqualification of organisations found to have conflicts of interest.
The League warned that if its concerns were ignored, it would petition the National OGP Secretariat, the OGP Global Support Unit, the Independent Reporting Mechanism, and other relevant bodies.
Despite the allegations, the National OGP Secretariat commended the conduct of the election.
Speaking after monitoring the exercise, the Civil Society Adviser to the National OGP Secretariat, Uchenna Arisukwu, described the poll as peaceful, transparent, and participatory.
He said the exercise complied with OGP principles of inclusion, accountability, and citizens’ participation.
“The emergence of credible civil society representatives through a democratic process will strengthen the implementation of the initiative in Kano,” Mr Arisukwu said.
He added that the OGP operates through three structures—the Steering Committee, Thematic Working Groups, and the Secretariat—at both the national and sub-national levels. He said Kano had emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading OGP states due to the political commitment of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration.
The Kano State Government also defended the election, saying it reflected its commitment to transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
The State Coordinator of OGP and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Open Government and Accountability Policies, Musaddiq Adam, said the successful conduct of the election demonstrated the administration’s commitment to inclusive governance.
“What you are witnessing today is one of the outcomes of His Excellency’s efforts to ensure accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness in governance,” Mr Adam said.
He explained that civil society organisations across the state elected members of the Steering Committee and thematic leads who would work alongside government representatives to implement reforms.
According to him, Governor Yusuf had already appointed government representatives, including commissioners and permanent secretaries, to serve on the state OGP structure.
Mr Adam said the partnership would focus on reforms in access to information, access to justice, anti-corruption, climate change, public service delivery, and citizen engagement.
He added that Governor Yusuf had approved the Kano State OGP State Action Plan to guide implementation and noted that the creation of the Ministry of Public Procurement was among the reforms linked to the initiative.
According to him, Kano has moved from 11th to fourth position in Nigeria’s OGP ranking since the current administration assumed responsibility for the initiative.
Meanwhile, the newly elected Civil Society Co-Chair of the Kano State OGP, Abdulrahman Abdul, pledged to prioritise awareness creation and capacity building among civil society organisations, saying many groups still had a limited understanding of the Open Government Partnership and its objectives.
The League’s statement was endorsed by 22 civil society leaders representing organisations across Kano State, including the Campaign for Democracy, Joint Action Front, United Action for Democracy, Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement, and several other advocacy groups.
