Kano PDP reconciles factions, picks Abacha for 2027

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has replaced its earlier governorship candidate, Muhammad Bello Dalhatu, with Muhammad Sani Abacha ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The development followed Dalhatu’s withdrawal from the race after he had emerged as the party’s candidate at its earlier governorship primary. Reports of the earlier primary showed that Dalhatu defeated Abacha to secure the ticket, polling 2,233 votes against Abacha’s 749.

At an expanded State Executive Committee meeting in Kano on Wednesday, the state PDP Chairman, Dr Bello Gambo Bichi, said the replacement process was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and applicable electoral regulations.

Bichi said Dalhatu had withdrawn his candidature following consultations among party stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, necessitating a replacement primary.

“Last time we did a primary election in which Muhammad Bello Dalha was declared winner. But following consultations among stakeholders in Kano and Abuja, the candidate decided to withdraw.

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“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 replacement exercise was subsequently conducted, with Abacha 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 electoral regulations, adding that Abacha had satisfied the requirements for nomination.

The party also announced changes to its deputy governorship ticket as part of efforts to resolve its internal factional differences.

Under the reconciliation arrangement, the deputy governorship slot was conceded to the group associated with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, with former factional chairman of the party and former Commissioner for Lands and Agriculture, Alhaji Yusuf Ado Kibiya, emerging as the new deputy governorship candidate.

“After wide consultation and reconciliation, we agreed to give the deputy governorship slot to the Turaki faction here in Kano. With this, there is no more faction in Kano PDP. We have reconciled,” Bichi said.

He added that representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) witnessed the process.

The PDP chairman further disclosed that some of the party’s National Assembly and State Assembly candidates had also been replaced as part of the reconciliation process to accommodate members of the different factions.

Bichi said the changes had resolved the party’s factional differences in the state and strengthened its structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

Abacha, the eldest son of Nigeria’s late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, previously contested for the PDP governorship ticket in Kano.

He was also the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 election, when he finished behind the candidate of the then ruling All Progressives Congress and the eventual winner, the New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate.

The latest development marks a change from the PDP’s earlier 2027 ticket and comes amid continuing political realignments among major parties in Kano ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election. INEC’s published timetable places the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on that date.

(Trust)