PDP picks Sani Abacha as Kano governorship candidate for 2027

By Johnson Arua

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kano State has adopted Alhaji Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

Abacha emerged following the withdrawal of the party’s earlier candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalha.

His emergence was confirmed on Wednesday at an expanded meeting of the Kano State Executive Committee of the party, where the PDP conducted an affirmation and replacement primary.

Speaking after the exercise, the state PDP Chairman, Dr Bello Gambo Bichi, said the process was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and relevant electoral laws.

Bichi explained that Dalha, who had earlier emerged as the party’s governorship candidate, subsequently withdrew from the race following consultations among party stakeholders in Kano and Abuja.

He said the withdrawal made it necessary for the party to conduct a replacement primary to fill the vacant position.

“The law says that as a result of withdrawal, a replacement primary must be held. That is what brought us here today. We have affirmed Muhammad Sani Abacha as the gubernatorial candidate of our great party in Kano State,” Bichi said.

The affirmation was followed by a replacement primary during which Abacha was formally declared the winner by the Chairman of the electoral panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi.

Abdullahi said the exercise was conducted in line with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral regulations.

He added that Abacha had fulfilled the requirements for nomination and was therefore qualified to represent the PDP in the 2027 governorship election.

Meanwhile, in an effort to address lingering disagreements within the party, the PDP also allocated the deputy governorship slot to the group led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.

Consequently, the party named a former factional chairman and ex-Commissioner for Land and Agriculture, Alhaji Yusuf Ado Kibiya, as Abacha’s running mate.

Bichi said the decision was part of the ongoing consultations and reconciliation efforts aimed at bringing the different tendencies within the party together ahead of the 2027 elections.

“As part of the reconciliation process, we also replaced some of our National Assembly and State Assembly candidates. Representatives of INEC were present and witnessed the entire exercise,” he said.