Abacha’s Son Emerges PDP Flagbearer for Kano Governorship Race

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State has elected Muhammad Sani Abacha, son of former military Head of State General Sani Abacha, as its governorship candidate for the 2027 election following the withdrawal of the party’s previous nominee, Muhammad Bello Dalha.

Abacha emerged during an expanded meeting of the Kano State PDP Executive Committee, where the party conducted an affirmation and replacement primary to fill the vacancy created by Dalha’s decision to step down. The exercise was supervised by the party’s electoral panel in line with its constitution and electoral regulations, according to the state leadership.

Kano PDP Chairman Dr Bello Gambo Bichi said Dalha had originally won the party’s governorship primary but later withdrew after consultations involving party stakeholders in Kano and Abuja. He explained that the withdrawal legally required the party to organize a fresh primary to nominate a replacement candidate.

Following the replacement exercise, the chairman of the electoral panel, Dr Abba Abdullahi, formally declared Abacha the winner, stating that he had satisfied the requirements for nomination under the PDP’s guidelines and applicable electoral laws.

The governorship ticket was accompanied by a broader political settlement within the state chapter of the PDP. As part of the reconciliation arrangement, the deputy governorship position was allocated to the political bloc led by former Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, with Yusuf Ado Kibiya, a former PDP factional chairman and former commissioner, named as Abacha’s running mate.

Party leaders said the agreement also resulted in changes to some National Assembly and Kano State House of Assembly candidates in an effort to accommodate competing interests and strengthen unity before the election. According to the PDP, representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) observed the replacement process.

Muhammad Sani Abacha is no stranger to Kano politics. He previously sought the governorship under the PDP during the 2023 election cycle, although the party’s nomination became the subject of prolonged internal legal disputes before the poll. The election was ultimately won by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) after a fiercely contested race. Wikipedia

Kano remains one of Nigeria’s most politically influential states, with its large voting population making it a strategic battleground in national elections. By settling its governorship ticket early and attempting to resolve longstanding factional divisions, the PDP is signalling its intention to mount a more unified challenge as preparations for the 2027 electoral cycle gather momentum.